Ahead of Eid, Central Java Governor Ensures Stable Prices and Secure Stock of Essential Goods
AHEAD of Eid al-Fitr 2026, the Central Java Provincial Government has assured the availability and price stability of essential commodities at Bunder Market in Sragen Regency. Governor Ahmad Luthfi personally inspected the market to ensure secure supplies and controlled prices, despite increasing public demand ahead of Eid.
The inspection at Bunder Market, Sragen Regency, on Wednesday, 18 March 2026, aimed to confirm that prices remain controlled and supplies are secure amid heightened public demand.
During the visit, Ahmad Luthfi was accompanied by several regional officials, including the Food Security Agency (Dishanpan) and the Industry and Trade Agency (Disperindag) of Central Java. The visit served as a pre-emptive measure by the local government to maintain public purchasing power while controlling inflation ahead of Eid.
Observations showed that the atmosphere at Bunder Market in Sragen was bustling with public activity as people began stocking up on essentials ahead of Idulfitri. Traders’ stalls were crowded with buyers, and sales transactions increased, particularly for various food commodities.
During the inspection, Ahmad Luthfi engaged directly in conversations with traders and buyers. He inquired about prices of several commodities and ensured that supply conditions at the market level remained secure.
A warm interaction was evident when Ahmad Luthfi purchased a quantity of goods from traders and distributed them to nearby residents at the market. The action was enthusiastically received by the public present.
The provincial government has an application called Siaga for monitoring prices, but that is not enough. We must check directly in the field, especially approaching H-2 Eid, to ensure there are no price fluctuations,” said Ahmad Luthfi.
According to him, there are two main indicators in maintaining food stability: availability and affordability.
“The two keys are availability and affordability. Both are fulfilled. If there is a price increase, it is still within reasonable limits due to rising public demand,” he explained.
He gave an example: the price of bird’s eye chilli, which previously approached Rp100,000 per kilogram, has now begun to drop to around Rp70,000. Meanwhile, beef prices range from Rp130,000 to Rp140,000 per kilogram, depending on quality, and remain within normal bounds.
Based on monitoring results, rice prices at Bunder Market are stable and still within the Highest Retail Price (HET) range. Meanwhile, horticultural commodities such as shallots and garlic have experienced gradual increases due to supply and distribution fluctuations between regions, as well as increased demand during Ramadan.
However, overall, price conditions remain controlled with no significant spikes detected. Supplies of essential goods are also assured to be secure.
Luthfi emphasised that if price surges occur at certain markets, the Central Java Provincial Government will immediately intervene through regional agencies and food BUMDs.
“As soon as there is an increase at one market, we intervene directly through the relevant agencies and BUMDs. Whether it’s beef, chilli, or onions, we control everything to prevent surges,” he asserted.
Meanwhile, the Head of the Industry and Trade Agency of Central Java, Julie Emmy, stated that average prices of inflation-contributing commodities are currently relatively stable.
“Including the price of red bird’s eye chilli, which is always a concern. Alhamdulillah, all have decreased; yesterday Rp70,000, now Rp65,000,” she said.
She also assured that stocks of rice, both premium and medium, are secure. The same applies to Minyakita oil stocks, which continue to be supplied by Bulog to markets.
In addition to monitoring via the application, price control is conducted through direct field checks and market interventions via PT Jateng Agro Berdikari (JTAB) as the food BUMD.
“JTAB through the Kendil programme and Dishanpan via the Cheap Food Movement (GPM),” she said.
JTAB Director Totok Siswanto added that price monitoring is carried out daily across 35 regencies/cities in Central Java as the basis for intervention measures.
“When there is a significant price increase, we immediately deploy through market operations. For instance, when chilli prices exceeded Rp100,000 per kilogram, interventions were carried out to bring prices back down,” he explained.
The Central Java Provincial Government has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening price monitoring, supply distribution, and market interventions to maintain price stability and ensure public needs are met ahead of Eid.