The current soybean price hike is due to the climate anomaly in the producing countries, according the minister.Pasuruan, E Java (ANTARA News) - The domestic consumption of soybean reaches 2.6 million tons annually, while the national production of soybean is only 6,000 tons/year, according to Trade Minister Gita Wiryawan.
"So, we have to import soybean to meet the shortage," Minister Wiryawan said here Tuesday when visiting PT Nestle plant at Kejayan.
The current soybean price hike is due to the climate anomaly in the producing countries, according the minister.
He hoped that the climate anomaly would stop so the soybean price hike would not continue. He also called for a solution to the soybean production shortage.
The trade minister said East Java is fit to be developed into a soybean producing region like the one in Latin America.
Hery Budiarto, a producer of tofu and tempe (soybean cake) in Pasuruan, said the soybean price has increased over the past several days from Rp6,800 per kg to Rp7,500 per kg now.
He has to raise the price of his products, for instance tofu from Rp500 per piece to Rp650. Due to the price hike, the tofu and tempe sales have decreased by around 40 percent, he said. (*)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
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