Tofu and Tempeh Producers Rack Brains to Counter Soybean and Plastic Price Rises
REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, SEMARANG – Tempeh and tofu producers in Semarang City, Central Java, admit they are heavily impacted by the rising prices of soybeans and plastic. However, they are reluctant to follow suit by raising prices. Their workaround is to reduce the size of tempeh and tofu so they can still be sold at normal prices.
Owner of a tempeh factory in Pandean Lamper, Semarang City, Adib Mukharam, revealed that the soybean price increase has been gradual. In January 2026, the price was still around Rp8,500 per kilogram. Currently, it stands at Rp10,250 per kilogram.
“As far as I know, soybeans are rising due to the increase in the dollar exchange rate. Now the dollar is at Rp17,000, so prices tend to rise gradually,” said Adib during an interview on Saturday (11/4/2026).
He explained that his factory can produce an average of 650 kilograms of tempeh per day. According to Adib, soybean prices are quite volatile. Last year, they even reached Rp14,500-Rp15,000 per kilogram.
However, Adib was still able to manage selling prices because at that time, the price of plastic used for wrapping tempeh did not soar. The current situation is different. “For plastic, we usually buy it per roll for Rp550,000. The last one was Rp1,750,000 per roll,” said Adib.
According to Adib, many tempeh producers did not predict the sharp rise in plastic prices. But amid the rising prices of soybeans and plastic, Adib refuses to increase the selling price of his tempeh.
“We mostly sell to retail outlets and vegetable shops. If we raise the price, it will be hard to sell. So the price stays the same, but we reduce the gramme or weight, from the normal 450 grams to 400 grams. This is for the ones priced at five thousand,” Adib stated.
Even though soybean and plastic prices are soaring, Adib said production at his factory has not decreased. This is because he has steady customers or regular orders.
Adib hopes the government can stabilise commodity and raw material prices again for products with high demand characteristics. “So that people can still afford to buy and the economy can keep running,” he said.
Owner of a tofu factory in Jomblang, Semarang City, Joko Wiyatno, recounted a similar story. He admitted his income has been eroded because the capital needed to buy soybeans has increased.
Joko revealed that the normal soybean price ranges from seven to eight thousand rupiah per kilogram. Meanwhile, currently it has broken through Rp11,000 per kilogram. According to Joko, the soybean price increase has indeed been gradual. The most significant phase was after Eid al-Fitr.