Bird's Eye Chilli Prices in North Gorontalo Hit Rp200,000 per Kilogram

The price of bird’s eye chilli in North Gorontalo, Gorontalo Province, has breached Rp200,000 per kilogram (kg) for chillies that have been cleaned of their stems. This price hike occurs amidst a reduction in supply from local farmers due to production failures during the dry season.

Hengki, a spice trader at the Kwandang Traditional Market, stated that bird’s eye chilli still attached to the stems is being sold at Rp160,000 per kg, while chillies with lower levels of spiciness are available at Rp120,000 per kg.

“The price for clean bird’s eye chilli without stems is Rp200,000 per kg, while those that have not been cleaned or still have stems are Rp160,000 per kg,” said Hengki on Saturday (20/09/2026).

Hengki noted that supplies from local farmers in North Gorontalo are currently difficult to obtain due to production failures caused by the dry season. Consequently, traders are bringing in chillies from Buol Regency, Central Sulawesi Province. “It is difficult to find bird’s eye chilli stocks from local farmers, so we traders are forced to purchase from farmers in the Buol region,” he said.

According to Hengki, the chillies from Buol are known to be similar to the characteristic Gorontalo variety, including their high level of spiciness.

Another trader, Arifin, said that the high prices have made him hesitant to stock large quantities of chilli. This situation has also affected consumer purchasing patterns, with more people now opting for small-scale retail purchases.

“The high price of chilli makes me afraid to buy in large quantities; especially when prices are high, buyers on average only purchase retail amounts worth between Rp10,000 and Rp20,000,” he said.

Arifin added that he is still obtaining chilli supplies from Gorontalo Regency, although quantities are limited. Meanwhile, bird’s eye chilli remains one of the primary commodities sought by the public, even though demand has decreased compared to previous periods.

“Despite the high prices, bird’s eye chilli remains a primary spice commodity sought by buyers. However, while demand was previously high, it has now decreased or shifted towards more retail buyers,” he said.

The Head of the North Gorontalo Food Security Agency, Ajuba Thalib, stated that his office is continuously monitoring stock availability and food price movements, including bird’s eye chilli.

“We hope that the supply of bird’s eye chilli in traditional markets remains stable. Regarding the price, it is indeed still high, exceeding Rp100,000 per kg,” he said.

Ajuba noted that the high price of bird’s eye chilli is influenced by market demand that has not been fully balanced by available stock. The local government continues to monitor price and supply developments to prevent further price hikes.

“We are constantly monitoring price movements and stocks, including coordinating with relevant parties to control bird’s eye chilli prices so they do not surge further,” he said.

A number of bird’s eye chilli supplies from outside the region are also entering the Gorontalo market to help increase availability, including supplies originating from Surabaya.