Staple Food Prices in Singaraja Stabilise After Galungan Festival

Prices of several staple foods in the Singaraja area of Buleleng Regency, Bali, are showing a stable trend following the Galungan holy day celebration. Monitoring at Banyuasri Market and Anyar Market on Saturday indicated that prices of strategic commodities such as chillies, shallots, garlic, eggs, and chicken meat are relatively stable compared to the period leading up to Galungan. Although there are still fluctuations in some types of vegetables, the movement is considered insignificant and supply from distributors remains smooth. A staple food trader at Banyuasri Market, Made Sulastri, said the price of cayenne pepper, which had risen ahead of Galungan, has now begun to fall and is approaching the range of Rp60,000 to Rp70,000 per kilogram. She noted that public demand has decreased, making prices at the trader level more manageable. ‘Leading up to Galungan, demand was very high, causing some commodity prices to rise. Now it is starting to normalise, supply is also smooth, so prices are more stable. Buyers are still there, but not as busy as before the holiday,’ she said. She added that the prices of shallots and garlic have also started to decline, hovering around Rp40,000 per kilogram. ‘Before Galungan, they could reach Rp50,000 per kilogram for both shallots and garlic,’ she said. A similar sentiment was shared by an egg and basic food trader at Banyuasri Market, I Ketut Suarda, who explained that the price of chicken eggs, which previously rose due to increased household needs, is now gradually stabilising at around Rp50,000 per crate of 30 eggs. He said this condition provides certainty for both traders and consumers in conducting transactions. ‘Sales have returned to normal, so prices are starting to stabilise,’ he said. Meanwhile, at Anyar Market in Singaraja, buying and selling activity is also calmer compared to the days before Galungan. Vegetable trader Ni Luh Erni said the prices of various vegetables such as water spinach, spinach, mustard greens, and long beans tend to be stable because supply from local farmers has returned to normal. ‘Usually after the holiday, demand drops, so prices become more controlled. Currently, supply from farmers is quite abundant and distribution is not experiencing any obstacles, so prices are relatively stable,’ she said. Chicken meat trader Komang Budi at Anyar Market explained that the price of broiler chicken, which had risen due to high public demand, is now declining to around Rp40,000 per kilogram. ‘The price of chicken per kilo is stable again. Except for breast meat, which is slightly more expensive at around Rp45,000 per kilogram,’ he said. He noted that this condition is good news for consumers who are returning to shop for daily needs after increased spending during the religious festival. According to traders, price stability is also supported by sufficient stock availability from distributors and local farmers. In addition, relatively good weather in recent weeks has helped smooth the distribution of food supplies to traditional markets in the Buleleng region.