Weather Drives Chili Prices Higher Ahead of Idulfitri Festivities
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JAKARTA, investortrust.id – Chili prices across Indonesia have surged in the lead-up to the Idulfitri holidays, driven by extreme weather conditions that have disrupted harvests and strained supply chains, according to a top government official.
Deputy Trade Minister Dyah Roro Esti said the recent price spike for chili, one of Indonesia’s most essential cooking ingredients, stemmed primarily from weather-induced crop failures that farmers have little control over.
“That is due to weather factors,” Dyah Roro told Investortrust on Monday, March 31, 2025, after attending an open house event hosted by Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Bahlil Lahadalia in South Jakarta.
To manage the impact on consumers, she said the Ministry of Trade is working closely with the National Food Agency(Bapanas) to monitor prices and explore interventions in the market.
“We are coordinating closely with Bapanas because chili is one of the priority commodities under their monitoring. Hopefully, we can stabilize prices going forward,” Dyah Roro explained. “Weather is something we cannot control, but we will continue to monitor it closely.”
Earlier this month, Indonesia’s Business Competition Supervisory Commission, Komisi Pengawas Persaingan Usaha (KPPU), conducted a nationwide price survey ahead of the Idulfitri holiday, focusing on both traditional and modern markets. The results showed that chili and garlic prices had spiked significantly in nearly all regions.
Red chili prices in traditional markets ranged from Rp 37,000 to Rp 67,250 per kilogram (approximately $2.35 to $4.27), with the highest price recorded in Samarinda. In modern retail outlets, prices peaked at Rp 144,900 per kilogram (around $9.20), also in Samarinda.
The most dramatic increase was seen in bird’s eye chili with prices hitting Rp 115,000 per kilogram ($7.31) in Bandung and soaring to Rp 167,450 per kilogram ($10.64) in Samarinda. KPPU noted that nearly all areas under observation reported prices above the government’s reference price threshold.
Despite recent remarks by Bapanas Head Arief Prasetyo Adi claiming that bird’s eye chili prices have begun to fall below Rp 100,000 per kilogram, the situation remains volatile due to ongoing weather uncertainties.