Prices Of Eggs And Cooking Oil Soar, Trade Minister Lutfi: I Get Many Complaints From The Community And Traders

Minister of Trade, M. Lutfi. (Mary Handayani/VOI)

JAKARTA - The Minister of Trade (Mendag) Muhammad Lutfi said that he had received many complaints after the prices of food commodities, such as chili, chicken eggs and cooking oil, experienced an increase in prices at the end of 2021. These complaints came from affected communities and traders.

"Frankly, I got a lot of complaints at the end of the year, because there was an increase in chili, eggs and cooking oil. For chili, it's a classic problem because of seasonal problems," he said at the inauguration of Food Holding, in Jakarta, Wednesday, January 12.

As is known, at the end of 2021, the price of chili will reach Rp. 90 thousand per kilogram (Kg). Now, the price of these commodities has gradually dropped, to around Rp. 60 thousand. Meanwhile, the price of purebred chicken eggs in the Christmas and New Year 2022 period reached Rp. 32 thousand per kg.

For the increase in egg prices, Lutfi said he actually felt sorry for the breeders. Because, throughout the year there are usually two sessions of price increases, namely prices during Eid and prices at the end of the year. However, in 2021, due to the PPKM, there will be no price growth.

"In fact, what happened is that this deflation is of course very closely related to the welfare of our egg farmers and breeders. Therefore, when they said why the price of eggs was up to Rp. 32,000 if they were averaged compared to the price of eggs in 2021, our egg farmers lost a lot because the average price at that time did not reach Rp. 24 thousand from the reference price of the Ministry of Trade. At the same time, the cost of raising chickens and eggs rose tremendously," he explained.

Lutfi said that he had also spoken with President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) at a cabinet meeting, on January 1, 2022, the price of eggs will decrease.

"On January 1, 2022, the price dropped from Rp. 34 thousand to Rp. 30 thousand. Now it is at the limit when the price is Rp. 24 thousand again and now we are afraid that we will fall again below the price of Rp. 24 thousand," he said.

Then regarding cooking oil, Lutfi said, the high price of cooking oil was triggered by the increase in CPO prices. According to him, Indonesia also has a role in the increase in CPO prices.

"The rising CPO price, we also have a hand in the price increase. In various mechanisms, but this rising price is indeed one of the goals of Indonesia, which produces the largest palm oil in the world," he said.

For cooking oil, said Lutfi, the government is intervening so that the price of cooking oil is affordable for the community, which is Rp. 14 thousand. The mechanism uses the BPDPKS mechanism.

"The BPDPKS mechanism is that we will subsidize around Rp. 3,000, we have prepared for 1.2 billion liters for the first 6 months of 2022. I guarantee the price will be at Rp. 14,000," he said.