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Imported sugar, buffalo meat prove to be hard sell
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Consumers buy beef at the Pasar Minggu in South Jakarta in recent days. (The Jakarta Post/vps)
T
raditional markets are finding it difficult to sell recently imported sugar and buffalo despite affordable prices — presenting a big challenge for the government to market the commodities.
The State Logistics Agency (Bulog) has distributed imported sugar and buffalo meat to 41 traditional markets in Greater Jakarta to help stabilize commodity prices.
However, Barjudin, a staple food seller at Grogol market, said the price of Rp 12,500 (95 US cent) per kilogram sugar was still not popular with customers as it was not as sweet as the unbranded sugar that he sold at Rp 15,000 per kg.
He said he only sold 5 kg per day on average of the whitish Bulog sugar since it arrived at the market on Friday, which compared to daily average sales of 25 kg of the normal, yellowish sugar.
“Only a few people bought [the new type of sugar], because it is not as sweet as normal sugar. It is good for cookies and cakes sellers, if they want to bake less sweet food, but normal customers don’t usually opt for it,” he said.
Similar to sugar, frozen buffalo meat imported from disease-free regions in India, also saw lukewarm demand on its first days of sale, even though at Rp 65,000 per kg it is cheaper than fresh beef at Rp 90,000 to Rp 120,000 per kg.
Arifin “Ipong” Nasmawi, a meat seller at Grogol market, said he sold 50 kg of buffalo meat, compared to 400 kg of beef on Friday.
“I think not many people will buy buffalo meat, because Jakartans are still not used to eating buffalo, but today is okay, because fortunately one customer bought in bulk for a wedding party. He bought some 50 kg of it,” he said.
Nevertheless, Arief Nasrudin, the president director of PD Pasar Jaya, which runs many of Jakarta’s traditional markets, said he was optimistic that both new products would receive a warmer welcome from the public as time goes by and with the help of good marketing.
Earlier this month, Bulog held a buffalo meat cooking event, where people found that the meat tasted just like beef, albeit with a thicker texture.
Trade Minister Enggartiasto Lukita said the Trade Ministry was also looking to partner with
market operators outside Jakarta to buy staples from Bulog to stabilize prices.
The government has imported 10,000 tons of buffalo meat from India and will import 70,000 tons more from there by year-end to reduce beef import dependency on Australia and New Zealand.
The ministry is also looking to diversify sugar imports, which currently come mostly from Thailand, and to improve local sugar production through advanced technology and by easing land procurement for new plantations.
“We cannot depend for imports only on one country, otherwise they dictate the price. We have considered opening imports from other countries, like Brazil, which is experiencing sugar oversupply now, so they can come with a more competitive price,” he said.
