Ahead of Kuningan, Klungkung's Pasar Galiran Traders Complain of Quiet Market

A number of traders at Pasar Galiran in Klungkung, Bali, have complained about the lack of buyers ahead of the Kuningan holy day. Typically, the market would already be bustling with shoppers by H-3, three days before the celebration.

Nyoman Mudri, an 80-year-old egg seller, acknowledged the quiet conditions, stating she had not made a single sale since morning. “It’s very quiet. Usually, it’s busy around a rainan like this. But so far, nothing has sold since this morning,” she lamented.

Mudri noted that egg prices remain normal at Rp 50,000 per tray. Another egg trader, who asked not to be named, echoed the sentiment and even likened the current slump to the 1998 monetary crisis. “This quiet period feels exactly like the 1998 crisis. I have been selling since 1994. Only now am I feeling such difficult financial conditions again,” the trader said.

Spice and vegetable vendor Anak Agung Istri Ngurah Suci shared a similar experience. Suci, who sells vegetables in Block C of Pasar Galiran, said her boiled eggs would usually be sold out by 9 am. “But now, by midday, they are still here. That means buyers of packed rice meals have also decreased. No one is shopping now,” Suci remarked.

According to Suci, this trend has persisted since the previous Galungan-Kuningan holiday period. She is uncertain about the exact cause of the decline in purchasing power. “Perhaps people’s money has already been spent on other needs, like paying bank instalments, children’s school fees, and other expenses. So, they are forced to cut back on buying necessities for the holy day,” she explained.