Residents Rush Ramadan Bazaar in Banyumas, Beef Priced at Only IDR100,000 per Kilogram

Hundreds of residents in the vicinity of Baturraden District, Banyumas, Central Java rushed to a Ramadan bazaar on Thursday, 12 March. They queued to purchase beef priced at only IDR100,000 per kilogram, whilst market prices had reached IDR130,000 to IDR140,000 per kilogram. Besides beef, residents also sought eggs, cooking oil and rice at below-market prices.

The low-cost market was held in the grounds of the Baturraden Centre for Superior Animal Breeding and Livestock Feed (BBPTUHPT), Banyumas. Since 08:00 Western Indonesian Time, residents had queued, particularly to obtain fresh beef.

Siti, 58, a resident of Kemutug Lor Village, Baturraden District, stated she had queued since early morning. “I want to buy beef. Because here in the market it has already reached IDR130,000 per kilogram. It doesn’t matter queuing, because the price at the Ramadan bazaar is cheap, only IDR100,000 per kilogram. I only buy 1 kilogramme, because it’s indeed limited,” she explained.

Meanwhile, Kurniasih, 31, a resident of Limpakuwus Village, Sumbang District, said that besides seeking beef, she also purchased eggs. “Here, beef is limited to just 1 kilogramme, so that many residents can obtain some. Besides beef, I also bought eggs. The price is also cheaper than at the market. Here it’s IDR27,000 per kilogram, whilst at the market it can reach IDR31,000 per kilogram,” she said.

Dani Kusworo, Head of BBPTUHPT Baturraden, stated that the Ramadan Bazaar was met with enthusiastic response from the community. “Indeed, one of the most sought-after products is beef sold at IDR100,000 per kilogram, far cheaper compared to market prices,” he said.

Dani revealed that the bazaar, which began at 08:00 Western Indonesian Time, provided various staple and livestock products. At least 16 stalls sold diverse products, ranging from beef, eggs, rice, cooking oil, to various micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSME) products. “The prices offered at the bazaar are indeed lower than market prices as a form of support to the community during Ramadan. Beef is sold at IDR100,000 per kilogramme, whilst at the market it can reach around IDR130,000 or even more,” he explained.

He stated that 180 kilogrammes of beef were provided at the bazaar. However, the high interest of residents caused beef stocks to sell out within approximately one hour of the sale opening. To ensure equitable distribution, the committee limited beef purchases to a maximum of one kilogramme per person.

Besides beef, eggs were also a commodity much sought after by residents. In this activity, approximately three quintals of eggs were provided at IDR27,000 per kilogram, cheaper than market prices ranging from IDR31,000 per kilogram. Meanwhile, the rice sold was sourced from Perum Bulog with a quantity of approximately 1 to 1.5 tonnes. This product was also sold at below-market prices.

According to Dani, the Ramadan bazaar activity aimed not only to help the community obtain staple goods at affordable prices, but also to serve as a means for MSME operators to market their products. “The community simply needs to come and can directly purchase various necessities at cheaper prices,” he said.

For egg purchases, the community was also limited to approximately 2 to 3 kilogrammes per person to ensure more residents could benefit. “Given the high enthusiasm of residents, we are planning to increase commodity stocks at the next activity on Friday. Community demand for beef is estimated to reach 2-3 quintals. Likewise with eggs, which we also plan to increase to meet community needs,” he added.