Bapanas: Weather and Picker Shortages Behind Rising Bird's Eye Chilli Prices
Production is actually more than sufficient, but the problem lies in the picking. When rainfall is heavy, workers dare not pick because the chillies will rot quickly.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The National Food Agency (Bapanas) has revealed that the high price of red bird’s eye chillies at a number of markets is not caused by a production shortfall, but rather by weather constraints and a shortage of pickers at production centres.
Bapanas Deputy for Food Availability and Stabilisation I Gusti Ketut Astawa said that nationally, bird’s eye chilli production remains sufficient, but the harvesting process has been disrupted by heavy rainfall.
“Production is actually more than sufficient, but the problem lies in the picking. When rainfall is heavy, workers dare not pick because the chillies will rot quickly,” Ketut said after conducting a snap inspection of food prices and supplies at Pasar Minggu market in Jakarta on Monday.
Besides weather factors, Ketut noted that labour shortages have also been compounded by the national holiday period, causing supplies to wholesale markets to decline even though stocks at the production level remain available.
He explained that these conditions have prevented the distribution of chillies to wholesale markets from running optimally, pushing prices higher at the consumer level.
Bapanas stressed that the price increase is unrelated to hoarding practices or price manipulation by traders.
“In line with the directive of the Head of Bapanas, there must be no hoarding and no unreasonable price increases,” Ketut affirmed.
He added that monitoring would continue in coordination with the National Police Food Task Force to ensure food distribution proceeds in accordance with regulations.
An improvement in weather conditions and the resumption of picking activity are expected to boost chilli supplies within the next two weeks. Accordingly, the price of red bird’s eye chillies is forecast to gradually ease.
Meanwhile, Bapanas monitoring and snap inspections at the Kramat Jati Wholesale Market showed that red bird’s eye chilli prices stood at around Rp80,000 per kilogramme, lower than the previous week when prices had reached between Rp90,000 and Rp100,000 per kilogramme.
That figure is close to data from the National Strategic Food Price Information Centre (PHIPS), which on Monday showed an average red bird’s eye chilli price of Rp79,950 per kilogramme across traditional markets in all provinces.
Ketut stated that his agency would continue to monitor chilli production and distribution dynamics so that price volatility can be brought under control as quickly as possible, bearing in mind the upcoming national religious holidays of Lunar New Year and Ramadan.
“We will keep checking and endeavour to take several measures to find solutions,” he said.