Chili prices continue to soar in Makassar

Amid reports of soaring chili prices across the country, some traders at traditional markets in Makassar, South Sulawesi, are bemoaning the fact that the price has reached Rp 70,000 (US$7.80) per kilogram over the past week, as compared to the regular Rp 15,000 to Rp 20,000.

“It has been a week in which the price of chili is high. We have had to raise the price since we have to purchase chili at a higher price from wholesalers,” said Eda, 40,  a trader at Terang Market.

Eda said the price of chili skyrocketed amid an apparent slump in supply from the chili producing area of Palu, Central Sulawesi.

He said wholesalers were blaming the scarcity of chili on crop failure caused by extreme weather.

Indonesia is home to a plethora of cuisines, almost all of them incorporating chili as a key ingredient.

Meanwhile, head of the South Sulawesi agriculture office, Lutfi Halide, said the supply of chili from farmers was normal but not the distribution.

Lutfi said the province supplied chili to other areas, including Kalimantan, resulting in a scarcity in the regional market.

According to Lutfi, the normal market price of chili ranged from Rp 23,000 to Rp 30,000 per kilogram.

He suspected that many traders had set the price high to make more profit.

He said his office would conduct a market operation to control chili prices by supplying cheaper chili in the next two days.

South Sulawesi has 635 hectares of farmland to cultivate chili, spread across 13 regencies.