Consumers have been hit with a pre Ramadhan staple food sting with prices surging by up to around 50 percent across North Sumatra.

At Tavip market, Binjai, red chili is today selling for as much as Rp 24,000 (US$1.80) per kilogram, a whopping Rp 6,000 above the normal price. The average price of both carrots and tomatoes at the market is Rp 10,000 per kg, up by 60 percent from Rp 6,000. The beef price has increased to Rp 110,000 per kg from Rp 105,000.

At Petisah market, Medan, the red chili price has increased to Rp 24,000 per kg from Rp 12,000. “It jumped by 100 percent,” said Nursiah, a vendor at Petisah Market, on Saturday.

She said the sharp increase in the red chili price had occurred in the last few days. Traditional markets in Medan have faced a shortage of red chili supplies as distributors preferred to send the commodity to Batam, Padang and Pekanbaru and this had led to the increase.

Nursiah said unlike red chili, the prices of green chili and bird’s eye chili were still relatively normal because there were adequate supplies of the commodities.

Green chili is selling at Rp 6,000 – Rp 8,000 per kg while bird’s eye chili is priced at Rp 15,000. 

At Bakti traditional market in Medan, the prices of all types of chilies have increased. The red chili price jumped to Rp 28,000 per kg from Rp 24,000 while green chili and bird’s eye chili were now selling at Rp 14,000 and Rp 25,000 per kg, respectively. (ebf)

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