Tofu and Tempeh Makers Baffled as Imported Soybean Prices Fall

The Indonesian Tofu and Tempeh Producers Cooperative (Gakoptindo) has highlighted an anomaly in domestic soybean prices. Amid a global upward trend in soybean prices, the price of imported soybeans sold by importers in Indonesia has remained stable or even fallen, meaning the government’s promised subsidy has yet to be disbursed. Based on global trade data, the world soybean price reached US$1,238.57 per bushel on 23 July 2026, a 0.45% increase from the previous day. Over the past month, the price has surged by approximately 11.71%. However, the situation is the opposite in the domestic market. Data on selling prices from importers shows that prices remained in the range of Rp10,000 to Rp10,400 per kilogram as of 23 July 2026. Gakoptindo Secretary-General Wibowo Nurcahyo described this condition as an anomaly. “The price of soybeans has not risen; in fact, it has tended to fall in Indonesia,” Wibowo said. According to him, this condition is linked to the government’s promised subsidy of Rp2,000 per kg not yet being disbursed. He explained that under the current regulations, the subsidy can only be distributed if the price of imported soybeans reaches the government’s Sales Reference Price (HAP) of Rp12,000 per kg at the importer level. As the price remains around Rp10,000 per kg, the requirement has not been met. Wibowo suspects that importers are deliberately keeping the selling price below the HAP to prevent the subsidy from being triggered. He argued that this strategy is more profitable for importers than allowing the subsidy to be realised, as it protects their established distribution networks. Despite the lower soybean prices, Wibowo stressed that the burden on tofu and tempeh artisans has not eased, as other production costs such as logistics, transport, fuel, and packaging have continued to rise. Gakoptindo data shows that compared to 2022, imported soybean prices have fallen by 18-23%, but the US dollar exchange rate has increased by 20-25%, plastic packaging costs have risen by 60-90%, and logistics costs are up by 25-45%, while the selling price of tofu and tempeh has remained at Rp5,000. Gakoptindo is urging the government to immediately evaluate the HAP regulation and has sent a letter to the Coordinating Minister for Food, Zulkifli Hasan, requesting a review of the HAP with a zoning scheme to better reflect distribution costs in each region.