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Farmers throw potatoes, cabbage on road in protest over prices
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Farmers in Kayu Aro village, Kerinci regency, Jambi, throw potatoes and cabbage onto the road and step on the produce in protest over low prices. ( Tribun Jambi/Heru Pitra)
F
armers in Kayu Aro village, Kerinci regency, Jambi have thrown potatoes and cabbage harvested from their farms onto the road in protest over drastic price declines in the last month.
Videos of the protest action on Saturday have spread fast through social media. The footage shows farmers empty several sacks of potatoes and cabbage onto roads and trample on the produce. The action was staged near the agribusiness terminals in the regency.
The farmers expressed their disappointment over the low prices of their products. They said their sales could not even cover the production cost of their framing activities.
They said the price of potatoes was only Rp 3,000 (21 US cents) per kilogram, far lower than one month ago, when it was Rp 6,000 to Rp 8,000 per kg.
Meanwhile, the farmgate price of chili was Rp 5,000 per kg, down from the normal price of Rp 15,000 to Rp 30,000, while the price of shallots was Rp 6,000 to Rp 7,000 per kg, compared to the normal price of Rp 12,000 to Rp 15,000.
“While the prices of fertilizers and pest control have increased, the price of vegetables is very low,” Maria, one of the farmers, told tribunnews.com.
Sugi, another farmer, added that a chili price of Rp 5,000 per kg could not even cover maintenance and seedling costs.
Meanwhile, the price of potatoes at Sungai Penuh Market in Kerinci regency was between Rp 6,000 and Rp 8,000 per kg on Sunday. (bbn)
