Dian Ariffahmi

Vendors sorting melons at Kramat Jati Main Market, Jakarta, after 300 trucks full of them arrived from Demak, Central Java, ahead of Ramadan. A kilo fetches Rp 2,000. (Photo: Afriadi Hikmal, JG)

Prices of Basic Foods Rise as Fasting Month Starts

The prices of some basic foods have risen sharply as Ramadan approaches, but the Ministry of Trade says there is no danger of shortages and it is ready to hold bazaars selling cheaper goods to stabilize prices.

During a visit to the Caringin traditional market in Bandung, West Java, on Friday, Trade Minister Mari Elka Pangestu found prices had risen significantly in just a few days. Vendors said the price of chicken meat had increased 18 percent to Rp 26,000 ($2.60) a kilogram, while beef had increased 11 percent to Rp 60,000 per kilogram. The price of cabbage was up by a third — from Rp 12,000 to Rp 16,000 per kilogram — while garlic more than tripled from Rp 4,000 to Rp 14,000 a kilogram. The cost of eggs had risen from Rp 13,500 to Rp 14,000 per kilogram.

Mari said demand for consumer staples usually increases about 20 percent during the fasting month, which begins on Saturday. She said people also tend to eat more protein when breaking the fast.

“It is an Indonesian tradition to break the fast together with the whole family. They tend to buy and cook more food,” Mari said.

She added that the Ministry of Trade had ensured that there were sufficient supplies of daily necessities for the month. If prices increase more than 25 percent, she said, the ministry would try to minimize the price increases by operating temporary markets offering cheaper goods. “We are going to work with regional governments to hold the bazaars,” she said.

However, she said supplies should be enough to keep prices reasonable, meaning ministry intervention is not likely.

Nurhafni Lubis, a customer at the Pasar Baru traditional market, said she was used to the seasonal price hikes. “But I was hoping that the prices of necessities like garlic would not triple,” Nurhafni said.

The prices of some foods, mostly seafood, remained stable. “Scout fish is still at about Rp 40,000 per kilogram, while medium-sized shrimp is Rp 60,000 per kilogram,” a vendor said.

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