Indonesia gets cattle shipment after cuts

Indonesia has received its first shipment of Australian cattle after a dramatic import cut.

Just over 2300 ready-for-slaughter Australian cattle arrived at a Jakarta port on Wednesday.

They will be followed by more shipments in the coming weeks.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott said he was delighted to see trade returning to normal levels.

"Indeed it appears if anything to be increasing," he told reporters in Melbourne on Thursday.

"We want to be Indonesia's trusted partner."

Indonesia shocked Australian live exporters earlier this year after cutting quotas by 80 per cent to 50,000 head in attempts to protect local producers.

But it reversed the decision to head off a beef shortage and soaring prices.

David Lamb, head stockman on board the first shipment, is disappointed by the small shipment, saying it's not cost-effective.

"Indonesia will probably find it hard to get a lot of cattle if Vietnam keep getting bigger and bigger and China come into it," he told ABC TV.

Indonesian agriculture ministry official Muladno told the Detik publication the next shipments will be based on needs and domestic stock.