Jakarta, June 25 (Antara) - The government has assured that it will not
import shallots as stocks are now adequate and the soaring price has
successfully been brought down to normal.
In the run-up to the current fasting month, shallot prices soared to
about Rp35 thousand - Rp40 thousand per kilogram (kg) as stocks in the
market were declining. This condition caused the government to wait and
see whether the country needed to import the commodity.
However, now the government has decided not to import it as the price
of the red onion has returned to the normal level at between Rp16
thousand and Rp20 thousand per kilogram (kg).
The price could be brought down after the government launched market
operations and after farmers had begun their shallot harvest.
Therefore, the government has decided not to import shallots because
the country's shallot grand harvest had been taking place and that has
increased the stocks.
"Seeing the production surplus we have
decided not to import red onions. We have told the trade minister about
this because stocks are adequate," Agriculture Minister Andi Amran
Sulaiman said in Nganjuk, East Java Tuesday (June 23).
Minister Sulaiman assured that the government will not import shallots
as the stocks have now reached around 200 thousand tons per month.
"We have surplus stock. Our monthly requirement is only about 90
thousand to 100 thousand tons whereas our supply reaches 200 thousand
tons," the minister stated while launching a market operation at the
Kramat Jati Wholesale Market in Jakarta Thursday.
Minister Sulaiman remarked that with the launch of the market
operations, the government was able to bring down the price of shallots
to Rp18 thousand - Rp20 thousand per kilogram (kg) from the previous
high of Rp76 thousand per kg.
Market operations are being conducted across the country in markets
that sell basic necessities such as rice, sugar, cooking oil, shallots,
and red chilli.
The minister claimed he had conducted surveys in a number of shallot
producing regions. There are three major shallot producing districts,
such as Brebes in Central Java, Bima in West Nusa Tenggara and Nganjuk
in East Java.
In June 2015, the shallot production in Brebes reaches 50 thousand
tons, in Bima, 40 thousand tons and Nganjuk, 40 thousand tons.
"Total production of the three districts stands at 130 thousand tons.
The need is only 90 thousand tons per month," the minister stressed.
He said the increase in the prices of shallot sometime ago was fueled
by long chains of supplies. The shallot trading from the farmers can
have some 7 to 8 chains of supplies, more than the normal three chains.
In order to cut the long chains of supplies, the minister asked the
state-owned logistics board Bulog to purchase the shallot produced by
farmers that is needed to conduct market operations. He gave an example
of market operation activities at the Kramat Jati Wholesale Market,
Jakarta, where there were at least 20 points of market operations.
The market operations were able to lower the shallot price in the
market from Rp36 thousand to Rp25 thousand per kg. Now the price dropped
further to between Rp16 thousand and Rp25 thousand per kg.
In the meantime, Procurement Director of Bulog Wahyu said that on June
10, 2015 the price of shallot in the Kramat Jati Wholesale Market
reached Rp35 thousand to Rp40 thousand per kg but when his board was
planning to conduct a market operation the price dropped to Rp25
thousand per kg.
When the Bulog and the ministry of agriculture conducted a market
operation there, the price of shallot dropped to Rp18 thousand per kg.
"In Jakarta, the price of shallots has relatively returned to normal
after the market operations were launched. We are conducting market
operations in Medan (North Sumatra), Bandung (West Java), Central
Kalimantan, West Kalimantan and Papua in an effort to stabilize the
price of shallots," Wahyu said.
Minister Sulaiman said that these market operations will be held until
the end of the fasting month, which commenced on June 18 and would end
on July 16, 2015.
"We
will prepare 100 tons (of shallots) per day. We harvested shallots in
Brebes in Central Java yesterday. This month, we have a stock of 140
thousand tons," Sulaiman stated while opening a shallot market operation
in Kramat Jati Wholesale Market. The price of shallots for the market
operations is set at Rp17 thousand per kilogram for both retail and
wholesale traders.
In order to maintain shallot price stability, economic observer Djoko
Raharto of Kediri, East Java, said Bulog must be involved in handling
the shallot issues and cut the chains of the red onion trading
"Bulog
should serve as a market player. The government has the task to cut the
supply chains," the minister said in Kediri Sunday adding that
consumers badly need shallot and that the government should pay
attention to it.
Raharto said the result of monitoring indicated that there is a big
price margin of shallots at the farmer's level and that of retailers.
Regarding the issue that there have been imported shallots circulating
in the market, Minister Sulaiman assured there were no imported shallots
in the market, as the supply is currently around 200 thousand tons per
month.
"There are no imported shallots. We have surplus stock. Our monthly
requirement is only about 90 thousand to 100 thousand tons whereas our
supply reaches 200 thousand tons. If imported shallots are in
circulation, it must be illegal, and we will impose sanctions," the
minister stated.
Kramat Jati Wholesale Market manager Salam seconded the minister's
remarks, saying that no imported shallots were entering the market.
"The shallots imported from Thailand are bulkier in shape and look a
little pale while the shallots from Brebes are more supple. Onions from
Bima are harder and cause more irritation to the eyes," Salam explained.
According to rumors, Thai shallots had entered the Kramat Jati market,
but after the stock was examined, they turned out to have come from
Garut, West Java.
"Yes, the stock is of Garut's shallots and
resembles Thai shallots, as the seedlings were sourced from the
Philippines," he added. ***3***
(T.A014/INE/B003)
EDITED BY INE
(T.A014/A/BESSR/Bustanuddin) 25-06-2015 23:42 |
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