Councilor urges Dolog to prevent prices soaring<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): A city councilor urged the Jakarta chapter of
\nState Logistics Agency (Dolog) yesterday to control the rising
\nprices of the nine staple foods, particularly rice and eggs.<\/p>\n
\"How can (Dolog) say that food supplies are enough when, in
\nreality, the food prices are steadily escalating?\" Djafar
\nBadjeber, head of Commission B for economic affairs, said.<\/p>\n
\"The prices are getting higher even though Dolog has launched
\ndozens of operations.<\/p>\n
\"This is a matter that affects people's stomachs. If Dolog
\ndoesn't take serious action against the skyrocketing prices, this
\nsituation could possibly lead to bigger social problems.<\/p>\n
\"You know that hungry people tend to be emotional. And the
\nsituation is just getting worse.\"<\/p>\n
The prices of a wide range of staple foods have soared in some
\nmarkets over the last few days<\/p>\n
And locals have repeatedly complained about the steep
\nincreases.<\/p>\n
Based on the city's economic development agency, the price of
\nCisadane rice in several major markets rose to Rp 1,900 yesterday
\nfrom last week's price of Rp 1,700 per kilogram.<\/p>\n
The price of a kilogram of cooking oil jumped from Rp 1,600 to
\nRp 2,500, onions from Rp 900 to Rp 1,400, garlic from Rp 5,075 to
\nRp 5,550 and red chili from Rp 4,600 to Rp 4,875.<\/p>\n
\"We realize that there are price increases here and there. But
\nI think it is still normal and under control,\" the agency's head,
\nSanjoyo, said.<\/p>\n
The head of Dolog, Ardiansyah, reiterated that the agency's
\nrice stocks were about 200,000 tons at present, enough to meet
\ndemand during the festive season.<\/p>\n
But claims of sufficient stock has not stopped prices from
\nsteadily increasing, Djafar said.<\/p>\n
The price of eggs in Jakarta has soared over the past few
\nmonths due mainly to the scarcity of products needed for poultry
\nfarming, including medicine.<\/p>\n
Head of the city's livestock husbandry agency Sumitro said
\nyesterday that the imbalance between the prices of eggs and
\nchicken feed has caused the price of a kilogram of eggs to surge
\nto Rp 3,700 from Rp 2,500 last August.<\/p>\n
\"Much of the chicken feed, which consists of fish flour and
\ncorn, still depends on imports,\" he said. \"Medicine is also
\ngetting more expensive these days due to the effects of the
\nmonetary crisis.<\/p>\n
\"For instance, the price of tetracol (medicine for chickens)
\ncosts Rp 600 per tablet, up from only Rp 460. How can the farmers
\nafford it?\"<\/p>\n
Production costs for a kilogram of eggs is between Rp 3,800
\nand Rp 4,400 but farmers can only sell them to brokers for Rp
\n3,000 to Rp 3,200. Then the brokers sell them in the markets for
\nRp 3,500 per kilogram.<\/p>\n
\"So you can imagine how hard up the farmers are. The farmers
\ncan not keep egg prices affordable because they've already lost
\nso much,\" he said. \"The brokers are the ones who can still
\nbenefit from the current gloom because they can increase the
\nprice in the market.\"<\/p>\n
Most egg farmers have been forced to sell all their chickens
\nin order to gain returns on their investment and buy feed for
\nchicks.<\/p>\n
\"We are forced to sell chickens for Rp 2,700 per kilogram.
\nThis is crazy. I think the poultry business will close down in
\nabout four months,\" Damsiri, an egg farmer from Jagakarsa, South
\nJakarta, said.<\/p>\n
Jakarta needs 400 tons of eggs every day. Much of the supply
\ncomes from West Java towns such as Bekasi, Tangerang, Cianjur,
\nSukabumi and Bogor. (edt)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/councilor-urges-dolog-to-prevent-prices-soaring-1447893297",
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