EN 
PT_BR 
With 287 million inhabitants, Indonesia is the fourth most populous country on the planet and the country with the largest Muslim population in the world, which makes it a strategic market for beef from Mato Grosso. This Thursday (28), the Indonesian ambassador to Brazil, Andhika Chrisnayudhanto, participated in a dinner promoted by the Mato Grosso Institute of Meat (Imac), in Cuiabá, with the aim of strengthening trade relations and presenting the potential of beef protein produced in the state.
This rapprochement occurs at a time when Mato Grosso is seeking to expand its presence in international markets and diversify its export destinations. Currently, the state leads Brazilian beef exports and has a consolidated structure to serve markets that require halal certification, a production system geared towards consumption by the Muslim population.
“We haven’t yet explored the full potential of the Indonesian market for Mato Grosso beef. This is an opportunity to gain more ground with these consumers, especially for halal meat. Currently, we have 12 meat processing plants authorized to sell to Indonesia and 29 with halal slaughter, therefore able to export our protein to Indonesia,” explains Paula Sodré Queiroz, executive director of Imac.
From January to April of this year, Mato Grosso exported 1,100 tons of beef to Indonesia, generating revenue of US$4.6 million. By 2025, 4,500 tons of the protein were traded with the Asian country, generating US$16.1 million.
"Indonesia aims to become a developed country, and because of this, one of its concerns is related to food security. We hope that Brazil can be a strategic partner in this context," said the Indonesian ambassador to Brazil.
During dinner, Chrisnayudhanto also had the opportunity to taste the meat produced in Mato Grosso and highlighted the quality of the product. “Brazilian meat is very tasty, I was quite impressed. I had the opportunity, at this dinner, to eat Brazilian meat and it is quite delicious, it has a special flavor.”
The president of the Asia-Pacific Institute (IAP), Alberto Carbonar, also participated in the meeting and emphasized the importance of strengthening relations between the two countries. “The Institute's role is to promote Brazil's relations with Southeast Asia. Indonesia is a strategic partner, and bringing the ambassador to Mato Grosso is very important for our country's trade relations.”
Vice-president of the Mato Grosso Breeders Association (Acrimat), Agenor Andrade, emphasized the commercial importance of Indonesia for the state's livestock industry and stated that Mato Grosso has the capacity to meet the increased demand from the Asian country.
“It is extremely important for Mato Grosso to receive this delegation from Indonesia to showcase the potential of our state and explain how we manage to produce with only 40% of the territory dedicated to production. They had the opportunity to learn about our production methods and understand that we can meet their demands,” Andrade pointed out.
