JAKARTA, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- The Indonesian government has allowed two companies to import 4,000 tons of beef from the United States for April delivery, marking the resumption of US beef import to the country.

    Like many other countries, Indonesia previously banned the import for fear of mad cow disease.

    "We have issued the import permit to them earlier this month and deliveries are expected to start in April," Fauzi Luthan, a senior official with the Agriculture Ministry, was quoted Thursday by leading economic daily Bisnis Indonesia as saying.

    He didn't mention the name of the two importers.

    "Beef import is needed to meet growing domestic demand because cattle population in the country remains low," he said.

    Indonesia last year imported 64,000 tons of beef mainly from Australia, up from 54,000 tons a year earlier.