Jakarta. Mongolia’s top diplomat, Battsetseg Batmunkh, recently revealed that her country was in talks to export halal-certified meat to Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim-majority nation.

Batmunkh was in Jakarta to meet her Indonesian counterpart, Sugiono, on Wednesday. At the joint presser, Batmunkh revealed that the discussions had also touched on the possibility of Mongolia supplying Indonesia with meat. The country’s statistical data showed that Mongolia had exported 27,300 tons of beef and 4,700 tons of goat meat in the first 9 months of 2024. Indonesia still relies on foreign supplies for its meat, and the East Asian country is seeing dollar signs.

“We had productive discussions on Mongolia’s potential halal meat exports. This is a sector that offers mutual benefits,” Batmunkh said. 

Sugiono pointed out the “outstanding increase in bilateral trade” and wishes to further strengthen economic ties. He said: “We believe there are so many untapped potentials that we can explore. We agree to seek opportunities, … [including] on trade of various commodities.”

If Mongolian meat makes its way to Indonesia, Ulaanbaatar might be able to improve its trade imbalance with Jakarta. Bilateral trade has been in Indonesia’s favor over the past years as seen in Jakarta’s surpluses. In other words, Indonesia is selling more than it imports from Mongolia. According to official statistics, Indonesia-Mongolia trade almost doubled from $16.7 million in 2023 to $28.6 million the following year. Indonesia’s surplus with Mongolia also jumped $4.9 million to $12.8 million over the same period. 

Indonesia requires imported meat to have halal certification, which proves that the product meets the rules under Islamic law. Over 80 percent of the Indonesian population identifies as Muslims. The Central Statistics Agency (BPS) reported that Indonesia imported 18,220 tons of beef worth $61.2 million in January. The cattle meat mainly came from India (73.5 percent), Australia (15.7 percent), and Brazil (almost 9 percent). 

Indonesia mainly imports frozen boneless meat. President Prabowo Subianto’s flagship free meal program, which aims to feed Indonesian students nutritious lunches, is expected to spur meat demand in the country. Meat demand also tends to surge during Eid as Indonesians celebrate the religious holiday with festive dishes such as rendang (beef simmered in coconut and spices).