Fasting Season Sees Sharp Drop in Red Chili Prices

Entering the fasting month of Ramadan, the prices of several staple food commodities have decreased. The average price of 12 staple food commodities monitored by the Ministry of Trade from May 26 to June 5, 2017, fell by 2 percent. The price of regular red chilies saw the sharpest drop, falling 11.59 percent to Rp 26,841 per kilogram (kg). This was followed by curly red chilies, whose price also decreased by 10.59 percent to Rp 26,768 per kg.

Similarly, the price of broiler chicken fell by 3.77 percent to Rp 30,775 per kg, and the price of beef also decreased by 1.6 percent to Rp 115,772 per kg. The significant price increases of staple goods before Ramadan, coupled with government stabilization efforts, resulted in price decreases for several commodities during the fasting month.

However, some staple food prices still increased. For example, the price of shallots on June 5, 2017, was still at Rp 30,971 per kg, a 2.43 percent increase compared to its price on June 26, which was Rp 30,235 per kg. Government interventions have resulted in more stable prices of staple goods in the lead-up to Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr 2017 compared to the previous year.