Indonesia's Ministry of Agriculture Recommends Importing More Onions to Meet Demand

As of last month, the Indonesian Ministry of Agriculture has issued a recommendation to import more than 460,000 tons of garlic to ensure adequate supply and stable Garlic Price during Ramadan and Idul Fitri celebrations.

Agriculture Minister Syahrul Yasin Limpo said that between March and May, the government actually only needed to purchase about 196,000 tons from overseas to meet domestic demand. Together with domestic production, the ministry estimates that there will be more than 116,000 tons at the end of May.

Sharul said at an online hearing with the Fourth Committee of the House of Representatives on Food and Agriculture on April 16 that garlic imports are necessary to stabilize prices during Ramadan, which will begin on April 23. "As far as the current storage capacity is concerned, the situation is under our control and safe, at least until the Idul Fitri celebration." He said.

Garlic prices have soared since the beginning of 2020, and the Ministry of Agriculture is not only looking for ways to stabilize China Garlic Price, but also hopes to mitigate the impact of logistics disruptions caused by special circumstances.

According to data from the Indonesian Strategic Food Price Information Center (PIHPS), from January to March, the average price of garlic rose by about 30% to IDR 44,900 per kg.

Thejakartapost.com reported that this far exceeded President Joko Widodo ’s preferred price range of IDR 20,000 to 30,000 per kg. (100 rupiah is approximately 0.0059 euro)