After careful review, the Ministry of Agriculture announced the selected poultry markets and slaughterhouses for interventions to control avian influenza.

Between 2005 and 2017, 200 human cases of avian influenza (AI) occurred in Indonesia, causing 168 fatalities (WHO). The Greater Jakarta Area recorded the highest number of AI cases, which might be due to the large number of live poultry entering the Jakarta trading and market network every day. The Directorate General of Livestock and Animal Health Services (DGLAHS) estimates that Greater Jakarta needs around one million live poultry or approximately one-third of national poultry demand every day. To meet this demand, Jakarta receives live poultry from as far away as East Java, Central Java and Lampung.

Dr. James McGrane, Team Leader of the FAO Emergency Centre for Transboundary Animal Diseases (ECTAD) Indonesia stated that based on the surveillance results in Jakarta live bird markets (LBM) conducted since 2009, about 60% of LBM are found positive for AI. Avian influenza virus has the potential to spread quickly along the poultry value chain to live bird markets and slaughterhouses (RPH-U). Poultry transport vehicles plying between collector yards and RPH-U that have been contaminated with the virus are also at risk of redistributing AI viruses back to poultry production farms. Unhygienic trading activity, slaughtering processes and poultry marketing will also increase the risk of spreading the virus along the market chain.

“Although AI cases have decreased each year, we have to continue our efforts in reducing contamination risk along the market chain. By doing this, we can reduce the risk of the AI virus spreading, especially from poultry to humans” said Drh Arif Hukmi, Head of Animal Disease Control section, Directorate of Animal Health, DGLAHS, Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) at the launch of the Greater Jakarta healthy live bird markets and slaughterhouses project.

Since 2009, MoA has been working closely with FAO ECTAD Indonesia to restructure Jakarta poultry markets. Last year, a pilot project was conducted in Sukatani Market in Depok. “We’re aware that the sustainability of this program is very important; this year we identified three markets and two slaughterhouses for interventions.” Arif added that the program is aligned with a similar healthy market program of the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Trade’s SNI market certification program.

“Public markets that are part of the SNI market certification program and other hygienic and well managed markets will be prioritized during the selection process.” He further explained the key requirements of the program, such as exclusion of live poultry from the market and only selling healthy and wholesome carcass poultry (ayam ASUH) meat sourced from slaughterhouses outside of the main market building.

The president director of Jakarta markets operator PD Pasar Jaya, Anugrah Esa stated that the healthy markets program is in line with Jakarta’s goal to switch public consumption from fresh poultry meat to chilled or frozen poultry meat. “We’re targeting 120 slaughter points in Jakarta to have their own freezers to store the chicken carcasses.”

By the end of the meeting, the following markets and slaughterhouses: Block III Senen Market (Jakarta), Kemis Maret (Tangerang), Cariu Market (Bogor), Rorotan Slaughterhouse (Jakarta) and Risma Jaya Slaughterhouse (Tangerang) had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Ministry of Agriculture and FAO ECTAD Indonesia to implement the project.

The selected markets and slaughterhouses will receive training to improve cleaning and disinfection of poultry transport vehicles, increase market hygiene and sanitation, and raise awareness of consumers and poultry sellers.