The footage, which sparked a public outcry after being broadcast on state television in Australia, included kicking, hitting, gouging of eyes and breaking of tails of some animals as Indonesian workers attempted to force them into slaughter boxes.
Earlier this week, the head of Indonesia's agriculture ministry livestock department, Prabowo Respatiyo Caturroso, said the country could buy more beef from New Zealand.
"Surely, if Australia stops the export, New Zealand is ready to export more beef to Indonesia," he said, adding that would mean frozen beef as New Zealand did not export cattle for slaughter.
But, when contacted yesterday, Meat Industry Association chief executive Tim Ritchie said it was "not a question of us just putting more product on the boat tomorrow".
Indonesia had been one of New Zealand's major growth markets for beef and, last year, had grown to the second-largest market by volume - worth about $228 million for beef (muscle cuts), edible offal and meat and bone meal.
Unfortunately, the trade had been disrupted much of this year, with a drive for self-sufficiency seeing a restriction on imports.
That had quite an impact in terms of volume of trade, which was getting less each month.
"We've been waiting month after month to see if the position has resolved," Mr Ritchie said.
There was some expectation another tranche of import permits might be issued this month, "which would obviously be taken up by our guys".
There must be some pressure building internally if product supply was being ramped down and, with Australian live imports being suspended, Mr Ritchie expected there would be some sort of consumer reaction.
The television footage had come as a shock to everyone and it demonstrated the importance of animal welfare matters, he said.
While the Indonesian Government was not yet satisfied the footage was authentic, it was determined to improve butchering practices wherever cruelty was discovered, Mr Caturroso said.
"We're fully aware that we have to improve animal welfare in our abattoirs. Our investigators are still checking the accuracy of the video on cruel treatment of livestock here."
The trade, worth $A318 million ($NZ410 million) a year, would not start again until safeguards were in place to ensure animal welfare in Indonesia, Australian Agriculture Minister Joe Ludwig said.
Australian cattle accounted for about a fifth of Indonesia's rising beef consumption, or around 500,000 head a year.
Indonesia had enough cattle of its own to make up the shortfall, but they were not in commercially viable herds. The export ban would spur the local industry to lift its game, Mr Caturroso said.
