Indonesia's Ministry of Trade has confirmed that garlic imports will resume, with shipments expected to arrive in the coming weeks, as the government moves to address rising domestic prices ahead of Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr.
According to the Director General of Domestic Trade, Iqbal Shoffan Shofwan, import approvals have been issued to companies registered in the Indonesian National Single Window system. The decision followed inter-ministerial coordination aimed at stabilising prices at the consumer level.
"Garlic shipments are expected to arrive at Tanjung Priok Port (North Jakarta) by the end of January or early February. We intend these additional supplies to help bring prices closer to the government's reference level," Shofwan said.
He added that import permits were released as part of anticipatory price measures agreed between ministries and government agencies. "There is no need for concern, as garlic shipments will arrive by late January or early February," Shofwan reiterated.
Data from Statistics Indonesia (BPS) shows that garlic prices have exceeded official benchmarks. In the fourth week of January, the national average price reached Rp39,810 per kilogram, compared with the government's consumer reference price of Rp38,000 per kilogram. Using the cited exchange rate, this equates to roughly US$2.38 per kilogram, against a reference level of about US$2.28.
BPS Head Amalia Adininggar Widyasanti said that 208 districts and cities have recorded garlic price increases since December. Some of the highest prices were observed in Highland Papua Province, where garlic reached around Rp100,000 per kilogram, equivalent to approximately US$5.99. Districts reporting these levels included Puncak Jaya, Intan Jaya, and Pegunungan Bintang.
Price increases have also been reported in several outer island regions, including Natuna in the Riau Islands, South Halmahera in North Maluku, East Flores and Rote Ndao in East Nusa Tenggara, and Central Lombok in West Nusa Tenggara.
The arrival of imported garlic is expected to increase supply availability during the pre-Ramadan period, when household demand typically rises. The Ministry of Trade indicated that the imports are intended to moderate prices rather than replace domestic supply, with monitoring continuing as shipments enter the market.
Source: Antara News
