White Onion Imports Approved at 269,000 Tons: What's the Consumption Trend?

The Ministry of Trade (Kemendag) issued an Import License (SPI) for 269,000 tons of garlic on June 9, 2023.

According to CNN Indonesia, this amount is equivalent to 48% of the garlic import quota of 561,920 tons.

The Director General of Foreign Trade at Kemendag, Budi Santoso, hopes that the imported garlic will help to lower soaring prices.

He also explained that of the 269,000 tons of garlic that have received an SPI, 170,000 tons have been imported.

The average monthly garlic requirement is 55,000 tons, which is currently met with existing stock of 102,000 tons at the beginning of 2023.

Annual garlic consumption exceeds 450,000 tons. Data processed by the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS) shows fluctuations in garlic consumption over the past five years.

In 2018, consumption reached 456,020 tons. Then in 2019, it increased to 483,640 tons.

(Read also: This is the Development of Indonesian Garlic Imports until 2022)

Entering 2020, the year of the Covid-19 pandemic, consumption decreased to 450,850 tons. This was the lowest achievement in the last five years.

Then in 2021, consumption increased significantly to 506,420 tons. While in 2022, consumption reached 554,020 tons, the highest achievement in the last five years.

"Household participation in garlic consumption is 91.79%," wrote BPS in its report.

However, domestic garlic production in 2022 was only 30,580 tons. This figure decreased by 32.18% or 14,510 tons from 2021.

(Read also: Consumption of Large and Small Chilies in 2022 Has Exceeded Pre-Pandemic Levels)