Villagers forced to eat dried corn

PURWOKERTO, Central Java: The unaffordable price of rice and other essential commodities here has forced hundreds of villagers in the Sumbang subdistrict of Banyumas regency to eat boiled ears of dried corn as a substitute for rice over the past month.

Some residents of Limpak Luwus, Kotayasa and Sumbang villages in the regency's northern tip contacted by The Jakarta Post yesterday said that rice and cooking oil were now simply unaffordable.

Mbok (the name given to an older woman) Tarlam, 45, and Mbok Nawirja, 40, said that dried corn provided a cheaper way to feed their families. The lowest quality rice on the market currently costs Rp 2,200 (15 US cents) per kilogram, while dried corn is priced at between Rp 1,000 and Rp 1,300 per kg.

Mbok Tarlam said one kilogram of boiled dried corn could feed twice as many people as a kilogram of rice, adding that she used salted dried vegetables to supplement her family's meager diet.

Mbok Nawirja said her family consumed half a kilogram of rice once a week and ate dried corn the rest of the time.

Other residents contacted said they had not eaten fried food for over three months because of the prohibitively expensive price of cooking oil.

"We can't even buy rice, let alone cooking oil," Mbok Tarlam said. (45)