Timor Leste To Export Goats To Indonesia

Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara, June 5 (Antara) - Timor Leste plans to export goats and cows to Indonesia to meet the country`s needs of meat especially during festivities after the Islamic fasting month of Ramadhan. Timor Leste`s Junior Minister for Animal Husbandry Valentino Varela said to newsmen here on Wednesday after meeting with East Nusa Tenggara Governor Frans Lebu Raya that the opportunity has not yet been fully opened and so further talks about it have yet to be done. He said goat population in Timor Leste at present reaches three million heads and so it is potential to export them to Indonesia to meet the country`s needs which have so far been met by imports from Australia. He said Jakarta has already issued a permit for Timor Leste to export cattle through entry gates at Kefamenanu in the district of Timor Tengah Utara, Atapupu and Betun in the district of Belu, in East Nusa Tenggara.