Chili And Shallot Prices Soar, Trade Minister Budi: Weather And Distribution Factors

JAKARTA - The prices of chilies and shallots in a number of areas are above the Purchase Reference Price (HAP) in the first week of December 2025. This price increase was triggered by weather and distribution factors.

The Minister of Trade (Mendag) Budi Santoso said that the current stock of shallots has a surplus and production will increase throughout this month. According to him, what needs to be considered is distribution.

"In fact, the distribution is now, because it's the weather," he said at the Ministry of Trade office, Jakarta, Monday, December 8.

Currently, said Budi, the national average price of shallots is in the range of IDR 47,600 per kilogram (kg). Meanwhile, the HAP set by the government is IDR 41,600 per kg.

"The national average price is the average price of all of Indonesia. So some are in the regions, for example, like the east, usually Papua, that's very high, so it was made on average, but earlier, it was like Java, Sumatra, and even the production in December will increase," he explained.

Meanwhile, Budi continued, the increase in chili commodity prices was not caused by a shortage of production. However, due to weather factors, heavy rains continue to flush a number of production centers.

"Because the weather is not good, harvesting can't be done all the time because of the rain. So earlier, we were looking for a solution so that it can be more efficient in how to harvest it. But none of the production has dropped," he said.

On the other hand, Budi ensures that the needs of bapok, both in terms of availability and price, are currently still in relatively normal and controlled conditions ahead of the 2025 Christmas and 2026 New Year (Nataru) holidays.

Budi said, sufficient supply and production, including for strategic commodities such as eggs and chicken meat, which were reported to be in a surplus condition.

Even so, Busi assesses that anticipatory steps are needed, especially regarding potential disturbances due to weather factors such as rainfall that can affect the harvesting process and quality of product health, as well as the need for multi-cultural products ahead of Christmas celebrations.

"In principle, we direct local governments if there is an increase in prices or a shortage of supplies to directly coordinate the Food Task Force (Satgas) and the Ministry of Trade. However, until now the bapok conditions are quite well controlled," he said.

Specifically for people's cooking oil, Budi said, the government encourages the strengthening of the role of State-Owned Enterprises (BUMN) in the distribution of Oilita to make it more efficient, equitable, and in accordance with the highest retail price (HET).

Among them are through the revision of the Regulation of the Minister of Trade (Permendag) Number 18 of 2024 by requiring cooking oil producers to distribute at least 35 percent of the total distribution of Oilita to Bulog and IDFood. The regulation is currently still in the process of being enacted.

"Especially for people's cooking oil, MINYAKITA, the government encourages at least 35 percent of the distribution of Oilita to be carried out through Food SOEs, namely Bulog and ID FOOD, to ensure sales prices according to HET and more evenly distributed supply," he said.