Save Tempe Tofu Craftsmen, Ministry Of Trade Gives Subsidy For The Difference In Price For 200 Thousand Tons Of Soybeans

Illustration. (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - Soybean is one of the imported food ingredients whose prices have increased significantly from the end of 2021 to the beginning of 2022. The price of this commodity is expected to remain volatile due to the Russia-Ukraine war. Therefore, the government through the Ministry of Trade will distribute soybeans at subsidized prices to tempe and tofu craftsmen.

For your information, based on the monitoring of the Ministry of Trade, soybean prices are affected by the geopolitical tensions between Russia and Ukraine. Where soybean prices in the global market have penetrated Rp. 8,875 per kilogram (kg) on March 25 trading. An increase of 95.6 percent when compared to last year's position of Rp4,528 per kg.

The Director General of Domestic Trade at the Ministry of Trade, Oke Nurwan, said that he distributed 200 thousand tons of subsidized soybeans for tofu and tempeh craftsmen. Okay, this is done to reduce prices at the level of tofu and tempeh craftsmen.

"To overcome this, the government has intervened by assigning Bulog through our letter number 286/M-DAG/SD/3/2022 dated March 24, 2022 to run a program to help purchase soybean price difference at the level of tofu and tempeh craftsmen at IDR 1,000 per kg. ," he said during a hearing with Commission VI of the DPR, quoted on Thursday, March 31.

"We have coordinated with importers to make sure the soybeans and the price are Rp. 12,000 at the craftsmen," he continued.

Furthermore, Oke said that the price subsidy was sourced from the food price stabilization reserve budget or CSHP. According to Oke, this subsidy has been prepared and will be distributed.

With this price difference policy, the Ministry of Trade hopes to save at least 150 thousand business actors or tofu and tempeh craftsmen.

"Soybean prices tend to be high following international prices, considering that 95 percent of the demand is met from imports," he said.

For your information, the rising price of imported soybeans as the main raw material for making tofu and tempeh, triggered a strike on the production and trade of tofu and tempeh craftsmen in the island of Java last February.

Chairman of the Association of Indonesian Tofu and Tempe Producers Cooperatives (Gakoptindo) Aip Syaifuddin said that the production and trade strike which will be held on February 21, 22 and 23 is the end of the anxiety experienced by tofu and tempeh craftsmen since December 2021. The unrest stems from the price of soybeans. which is increasing every day.

According to Aip, before deciding to carry out a production strike, his party had implemented various proposals from Gakoptindo members. Among them were complaining to the government, replacing raw materials with local soybeans, which eventually led to a strike.

"At the end of December 2021, the price of soybeans began to rise and rise every day. So we are restless. So some regions, districts, groups (crafters) how is this, what is this, some have suggested we tell the government, some say look for local soybeans, but nothing. Or we suggest the government help raise the price (tofu and tempeh), or ask for subsidies, at least the last one is a strike," he said when contacted by VOI, Friday, February 18.

"That has been since December 2021. I conveyed the members' voices to the government, but it turns out that from the government in December, January, now it is mid-February, there is no concrete action on the ground," he continued.

According to Aip, if the strike does not reduce the price of soybeans, the artisans will increase the selling price of tofu and tempeh by 10 to 20 percent in the market.

Therefore, Aip apologized to the people who love tofu and tempeh if the price in the market experienced an increase. He emphasized that the price had to increase because the price of raw materials had increased.

Aip said that currently the average price of soybeans reaches Rp. 11,000 to Rp. 11,500 per kilogram (Kg) on the island of Java. Meanwhile, the price reaches IDR 12,000 per kg in Aceh, Kalimantan or Sulawesi.

"We, from tofu and tempeh craftsmen, apologize to the people who love tofu tempeh because this is forced, forced and forced by us. So we apologize," he said.