Foot-and-mouth disease casts a shadow over Indonesia’s Eid al-Adha this year, as livestock traders in the world’s largest Muslim country bemoan falling sales.
During the run-up to Eid, makeshift pens to house cows and goats usually appear on busy roadsides in the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, and elsewhere.
But the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease, a contagious viral disease that affects livestock such as cattle, sheep and goats, this year has led to a sharp drop in sales.
“This year is a loss year for us,” said a West Java trader named Jamal Lulai, who has only sold 50 cows this year.
Lulay added: “Before Corona, we might sell up to 330 cows, and during the outbreak of Corona we were selling regarding 170 (…) sales decreased significantly this year.”
Indonesia has launched a nationwide livestock vaccination program to try to stem the outbreak that began in May.
More than 317,000 animals have been infected in 21 Indonesian provinces, most of them on the densely populated islands of Java and Sumatra, where authorities have culled more than 3,400 animals, according to government data reported by Archyde.com.
While the disease can be fatal to animals, it is not generally considered a threat to human health.
“People’s enthusiasm for sacrifice has not diminished, but they are more concerned regarding the health of (the animals),” said Muhammad Hussain Al-Banna, a livestock trader in Jakarta.
Until May, the Southeast Asian country had been FMD-free since 1986.
“Ultimately the decision is up to the consumer,” said Iskandar Saputra, a buyer in Jakarta who is still willing to take the risk.
“I think the cows sold here are safe and sound,” he added.