Price of onions hits new high

JAKARTA (JP): Many housewives expressed shock yesterday on finding the price of onions rising yet again to an amazing new high.

The price of onions has jumped from about Rp 5,000 (about 63 U.S. cents) per kilo last week to Rp 9,000 per kilo yesterday.

Suryati, a 27-year-old housewife, said when shopping in a Rawamangun market in East Jakarta that she never imagined the price of onions would ever reach its current level.

Suryono, a food trader at the same market, said the onion price had skyrocketed because supplies at the Kramat Jati wholesale market in East Jakarta were limited, Antara reported.

"The supply is wearing thin," he said, pointing at a wooden box containing a small amount of onions.

Prices of other foodstuffs were about the same yesterday as last week, Suryono said.

His price list showed sugar costing Rp 2,200/kg, brown sugar Rp 3,000/kg, garlic Rp 10,000/kg, wheat flour Rp 1,800/kg, yellow cooking oil Rp 3,800/kg, clear coking oil Rp 4,200/kg, peanuts Rp 5,000/kg and eggs Rp 5,000/kg. (pan)