Rising demand causes vegetable prices to soar
Rising demand causes vegetable prices to soar
JAKARTA (JP): The increasing demand for vegetables before the
Islamic fasting month of Ramadhan has caused the prices of
vegetables in the city to soar, an official says.
However, the head of the cooperative and trade development
department of the city economic bureau, Kartius Sinurat, said
yesterday that the supply of vegetables to Jakarta is still
stable.
The demand for foodstuffs before Ramadhan tends to increase 20
percent, and up to 100 percent by the day of Idul Fitri.
"The data collected in seven markets in the city show that the
supply is relatively stable but its still early," Kartius said.
He said that the normal demand for vegetables in the city is
300 tons per day, while Kramat Jati market receives 1,300 tons of
vegetables per day from West, East and Central Java to distribute
to markets in the greater Jakarta area. Another 200 tons are
distributed directly to other markets in Greater Jakarta.
Kramat Jati, in East Jakarta, is the central market through
which all vegetables and fruit must pass.
On Jan. 8 Kramat Jati market received only 1,104 tons of
vegetables, up slightly from 1,033 tons the previous day.
However, he said, there's a shortage of chiles and red onion,
whose prices have jumped.
"The harvest of chiles and tomato has been delayed due to the
rains," he said, adding that the city administration cannot do
more than inform the production areas to increase their supplies.
However, for certain products such as rice, sugar and salted
fish, the city administration can control prices through market
operations.
Kartius said if the weather does not change before Idul Fitri,
prices could get out of hand.
"Vegetables, such as chiles, rot easily in the rainy season.
Floods also disrupt transportation of the goods from production
areas to the city, which then affects delivery to markets,"
explained Suherman, a Kramat Jati employee.
On Jan.8 the price of chiles in seven markets was 106 percent
higher than in December, with Rp 11,000 being charged per
kilogram compared to the usual Rp 5,693 per kg. In addition,
chili and tomato prices were more than double in markets in
Kebayoran Lama and Blok M.
"We have no choice but to buy them unless we plant them
vegetables ourselves," said Wati, a housewife.
Red onion prices also increased from Rp 3,200 to Rp 4,200 per
kilogram, carrot from Rp 1,325 to Rp 1,559 per kilogram and
potato from Rp 1,136 to Rp 2,600 per kilogram. (team)