Jakarta, Aug 28 (Antara) - Because of skyrocketing soybean prices, many
tempe (soybean cake) and tofu producers across the country have started
cutting down their production.
Soybean prices have been on the rise ever since the commodity became
scarce in the market, which forced tempe and tofu producers to cut back
production. Soybean prices increased by varying degrees in various parts
of the country, reaching Rp8,000-Rp9,300 per kg¿from approximately
Rp7,400 per kg before the fasting month in July.
With soybean prices reaching Rp8,700 per kg in Lebak District, Benten
province, Tempe and tofu makers there have cut their production by half.
"We have to cut down our soyabean production by 50 percent¿from 30 kg
to 15 kg," said tempe producer Adhari, a resident of Cibahbul village in
Rangkasbitung.
However, he added, many other tempe producers in Lebak had stopped production altogether.
Similar was the case of tempe producer Sunaryo at Maccini Market in
Makassar, South Sulawesi. Sunaryo cut down production as a result of
the rising price of soyabean¿the raw material for the production of
popular tempe and tofu side dishes.
In Makassar, the price of soybean rose from Rp6,500 per kg to Rp9,100
per kg. "Most producers use imported soybean because local production
fails to meet demand. But the prices of imported soybean rose as the
rupiah depreciated against the US dollar. Therefore, we are forced to
reduce production," Sunaryo explained.
Some producers in Tanjungpinang, Riau Islands province, also cut their
production by half. "Soyabean price has risen from Rp6,000 per kg to
Rp9,000 per kg," tempe maker Sobirin in Jln Pantai Indah Tanjungpinang
said on Wednesday.
Sobirin used to use approximately 100 kg of soybean a day to make
tempe¿but now, after the spike in the commodity¿s price, he makes do
with 50kg.
Amar Ma'ruf, manager of the Indonesian Primary Tempe and Tofu
Cooperatives (Primkopti) of Kudus, Central Java, revealed that many
tempe and tofu producers were forced to stop production as soybean
prices shot up.
"As of now, 10 producers have stopped production because sales fail to
recover production costs thanks to the sky-high price of soybean," Amar
said.
In Kudus, soyabean prices have been increasing in stages and have now
reached Rp9,000 per kg, up Rp1,500 from the usual price of Rp7,500 per
kg.
Trade Minister Gita Wirjawan noted that the spike in soybean prices of
late was driven by limited supply of the commodity and the weakening of
the rupiah against the US dollar.
Gita stated that domestic soybean production was projected to reach 800
thousand tons per annum, while national demand for the commodity was
expected to touch 2.5 million tons per annum.
In 2012, Indonesia could only produce 851,286 tons of soybean, or about
29 percent of the national demand for the commodity that year.
Therefore, 2,087,986 tons of soybean had to be imported.
According to Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS) data, Indonesia needed
2.2 million tons of soybean last year, of which 83.7 percent was for
making food products, followed by 14.7 percent for soy sauce and other
industries, 1.2 percent for seed, and 0.4 percent for animal feed.
Almost at the same time last year, in July 2012, a shortage of soybean short led to the commodity¿s prices shooting up.
Also, many years ago, tofu and tempe disappeared from the dining table for a few days for the same reasons.
The soybean crisis seems to be cropping up almost every other year.
Therefore, the government has decided to take proactive measures to
guarantee soybean supply to Indonesia's tofu and tempe makers till the
end of this year.
"We have assured the Indonesian Tofu and Tempe Cooperative (Kopti) of year-long soybean supplies," Minister Gita said.
In order to achieve that objective, the Cooperatives and Small and
Medium Enterprises Ministry and state-owned logistics agency Bulog will
jointly launch soybean market operations to increase the commodity's
supply in the local market.
"The government has decided to implement the necessary anticipatory
measures, while Bulog will carry out the operations. We hope the rupiah
will strengthen as a result of these efforts so that the costs for
soybean import would be reduced," Cooperatives and Small and Medium
Enterprises Minister Sjarifuddin Hasan said.
The government has planned to import soybean in the near future as a
short-term solution to the problems of limited supply and rising prices
of the commodity at home.
On Tuesday, Minister Sjarifuddin
Hasan inspected many tempe and tofu factories in Matraman and Cipinang,
East Jakarta, to examine and assess the production of tempe and tofu
there. During the inspection, he found that the daily production output
of factories in those areas had dropped from three quintals to one
quintal.
Noting that several workers of those factories had
been laid off, he said: "I observed a number of factories that were in a
bad condition. Many producers have laid off their workers."
However,
Sjarifuddin Hasan expressed hope that the recent increase in the price
of soybeans was a temporary phenomenon, and that the commodity would
soon be available at its original price.
"Most of the soybeans in Indonesia are still imported from the United
States. As the dollar has recently strengthened against the rupiah, the
price of soybean has also increased. But this trend is only temporary,"
Minister Sjarifoeddin Hasan said on Monday
Coordinating Minister
for Economic Affairs Hatta Rajasa said the national logistics agency
(Bulog) would soon conduct market operations to bring down the price of
soybeans.
"To stabilize the prices of foodstuffs, particularly soybeans, Bulog
will soon implement a presidential decree which authorizes it to import
soybeans as part of market operations," he stated.
According to the minister, Bulog's intervention will help stabilize
soybean prices because it will stop other market players from
capitalizing on market speculation.
"If the prices are kept in check, speculations will stop playing a role
in soybean trade. Otherwise, anybody can import soybeans when the price
is high," he said.
Hatta stated that the government, through the ministries of trade and
agriculture, had so far been successful in its efforts to stabilize food
prices in the market. ***3***
(T.A014/INE/B003) |
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