According to data from the Ministry of Trade's Market and Basic Needs Monitoring System (SP2KP), on May 25, 2023, the average price of Honan garlic in Indonesia reached Rp35,943 per kilogram (kg).
This price is up 9.7% compared to the previous month, and is the highest average price since 2021.
The price of Honan garlic in the domestic market has been steadily increasing for five consecutive months since January 2023, as shown in the graph above.
Although the price continues to rise, Honan garlic is still significantly cheaper than in May 2019, when the average price reached Rp51,329 per kg, the highest record in the last five years.
According to Retno Utami, a Food Security Analyst from the National Food Agency (Bapanas), garlic price movements are heavily influenced by supply availability.
"According to economic principles, price correlates with supply. When supply is low, prices tend to increase, and vice versa," said Retno in a public discussion on the chaotic garlic import trade in Jakarta on Thursday (May 25, 2023).
"Garlic is not a commodity we produce; 90 percent or perhaps 95 percent of garlic is imported from abroad, meaning we still rely on imports. Our import dependence on garlic is very high, so when we don't produce it, and when the supply is low, there are likely to be problems," said Retno.
On the other hand, the Indonesian Young Entrepreneurs Association (Hipmi) believes that the price volatility of this commodity is also influenced by unhealthy garlic import trade practices.
"Only a handful of companies enjoy garlic import quotas. We hope the government and law enforcement can take firm action to maintain a healthier trade system. Especially since this commodity is one of Indonesia's basic needs," said Hadi Nainggolan, Head of the BPP Hipmi Agriculture, Plantation, and Livestock Division, in a press release on Thursday (May 25, 2023).