Tempe Producers Urge Government to Strengthen Local Soybean Production to Reduce Imports

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Tempe producers in South Jakarta hope that the government will strengthen local soybean production to reduce dependence on imported soybeans. “We’re not disparaging here. Indeed, local soybeans are now good, but their size quality is still small, while imported soybeans are larger,” said Joko Asori (57), Chairman of the Kramat Pela Tempe Producers Group, when met at the production house on Jalan H Aom, Kramat Pela, South Jakarta, on Thursday. He stated that in terms of price, local soybeans are relatively higher than those from the United States. If relying solely on local soybeans, he said, production needs might not be met. “If we rely on local soybeans, we won’t have enough from one harvest to meet needs for the next six months,” Joko remarked. Nevertheless, based on a comparative study in Yogyakarta, he assessed that the quality of local soybeans is now improving. Therefore, he hopes the government will strengthen support for farmers and micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the tempe sector to make them more empowered. “What we hope is that our farmers, our government, our minister prioritises tempe producers, because tempe deals with soybeans from Indonesian farmers,” Joko said. The price of tempe crisps was previously Rp65,000 per kilogram (kg), then rose to Rp70,000 per kg. Not only soybeans, but the price of plastic also increased from Rp32,000-Rp33,000 per kg to Rp50,000 or more per kg. Due to these price increases, Joko has coped by reducing the weight of his products. Previously, Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs Zulkifli Hasan assured that national food security remains safe despite the war in the Middle East, as Indonesia does not depend on imports from that region. The public is urged not to worry about the impact of the Middle East war on food availability. Domestic food stocks and procurement are ensured to be safe and controlled, so the public is asked not to make excessive purchases.