Director for Food Supply and Price Stabilization at Bapanas Maino Dwi Hartono noted in a statement here on Sunday that his agency had held a Coordination Meeting on Chili and Shallot Food Supply and Price Stabilization to address possible price swings.
He noted that the meeting was a follow-up to the previous inflation control meeting with the Ministry of Home Affairs.
He highlighted that in early May, the price of curly chili stood at Rp31,811 (around US$1.92) per kilogram at the producer level and Rp58,174 per kilogram at the consumer level.
He pointed to the significant challenge of a limited number of shallot production centers, which are concentrated in only eight provinces, making it difficult to ensure equal distribution across all districts and cities.
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Hartono also emphasized the importance of downstreaming of chili products, such as producing dried chili, to absorb surplus harvests and reduce dependence on dried chili imports.
At the producer level, shallot prices have begun to exceed the reference purchase price, reaching Rp24,802 per kilogram in early May 2025.
He noted that the harvest of shallots is projected to peak around July–August, making interventions such as price subsidies, cheap market movement, and logistics support essential.
Bapanas, regional governments, and other stakeholders have consistently carried out the Cheap Food Movement. In May 2025, Bapanas has scheduled to carry out the movement 122 times across 28 districts and cities.
"The number may continue to increase. Therefore, in January to May this year, it can reach 2,945 times," he remarked.
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Translator: Muhammad Harianto, Raka Adji
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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