Food Prices Start to Climb Ahead of Ramadhan

JAKARTA LIFE'S STYLE. Food prices started to climb in several cities in Java in the last fews days as moslems in the country prepares to observe the Ramadhan.

In Jember, East Java food prices rose between Rp1,000 Rp4,000. Chicken eggs rose from Rp11,500 per kilogram to Rp13,250 per kilogram, while “garlic jumped from Rp6,000 to Rp10,000 per kilogram”, Zubairi a merchant at Tanjung market.

Rice and cooking oil on the other hand saw a small rise of around Rp100 to Rp250. Perkilogram. By Thursday (6/8) high quality rice rose from Rp6,000 to Rp6,250 per kilogram, while low quality rice rose from Rp4,500 to Rp4,700 per kilogram.

Head of the Trade Division of the Industry and Trade Offices in Jember Regency, Mira Hartati said her office continue to monitor the market. "The rises were still within the normal stage and it was not the time to interfere the market,” she added.

In Purwokerto, Central Java, a local merchant at the Wage Market said “prices have climbed up in the last one week, some small merchants have started to pile up stuff.”

Garlic was sold at Rp12,000 per kilogram at the market compared to Rp8,000 last week.

Agus Budiman a retail food stall owner in Purwokerto said he is buying food supplies for stock during Ramadhan and Idul Fitri, “this is to anticipate a period in which food supplies are missing from the market, especially flour and sugar.”

Head of the Industry and Trade Offices in Purwokerto regency Didi Rudwianto his office also to prepare market intervention if prices continue to rise.