Firewood a hot seller as kerosene hard to buy

Antara, Kediri

Since fuel prices went up on Oct. 1, pricing kerosene out of the reach of many poor people, more residents of Kediri regency, East Java, have been using firewood for their cooking needs.

Sarim, a resident of Klethak subdistrict, said he used to sell just a small amount of firewood before the fuel price hike. But since fuel prices went up, demand for firewood has been on the rise.

More people are turning up at Sarim's house to buy firewood, with one person going so far as to dispatch a truck to pick up a major load of firewood.

With this recent surge in demand, Sarim has put up his prices from Rp 3,000 to Rp 5,000 per band of firewood, allowing him to profit from the fuel price increases that have hurt so many other people.

The price of kerosene was about Rp 1,000 a liter before the government announced the fuel price increases on Oct. 1. Since the increases, kerosene prices have risen threefold to Rp 3,500 a liter. This is the main factor driving people to use firewood for their cooking needs.

In a separate development, with demand for firewood taking off, more people are collecting and selling firewood to make money. Parti, a resident of Curahjoho subdistrict, used to work in fields owned by a farmer, but now the mother of three is selling firewood to earn extra income for her family.