The Trade Minister said, Billions of Pigs in China Make Indonesian Soybean Imports So Expensive

KOMPAS.com – Minister of Trade (Trade Minister), Muhammad Lutfi, stated the price increase soya bean in Indonesia due to several problems from importing countries, one of which is the bad weather El Nina in South America.

“So the problem with soybeans in Indonesia, whose prices have recently increased due to several problems and the occurrence of El Nina in Argentina,” said Muhammad Lutfi while in Makassar, quoted from Between, Friday (18/2/2022).

He said the price of soybeans per bushel, which was previously 12 US dollars (US) rose to 18 US dollars per bushel.

The increase in soybean prices, apart from the impact of the bad weather El Nina in Argentina and South America, which is an importing country, is also influenced by the huge demand in China.

Also read: Cooking Oil Is Still Expensive and Rare, It’s The Turn Of Tofu Tempeh Prices Skyrocketed

He stated that recently, in China, there were five billion new pigs, all of which feed on soybeans.

“In China, at first the pig farms there didn’t eat soybeans, but now they eat soybeans. Moreover, recently there were five billion pigs on the Chinese farms eating soybeans,” he said.

Lutfi explained that his party is currently preparing mitigation from soaring soybean prices nationally.

“Right now we are preparing the mitigation and the first opportunity next week we will announce what the policy will be,” he explained.

Also read: It’s been 4 months, the problem of expensive cooking oil has not been resolved

He also said that the domestic demand for soybeans is 3 million tons per year, while domestic soybean cultivation and supply can only afford 500 to 750 tons per year.

Meanwhile, to cover the national need for soybeans, his party then imports from several countries such as the South American country.

Craftsmen know tempe will strike

The increase in soybean prices has an impact on the production of tofu and tempeh craftsmen. Producer Cooperative Association Tempe Tahu (Gakoptindo) plans to go on a production strike on February 21-23 2022.

The general chairman of Gakoptindo, Aip Syarifudin, said that the planned strike was due to the rising price of soybeans as the main raw material for making tempeh and tofu.

Also read: All Tempe Tofu Craftsmen in Java Will Strike 3 Days of Production

“Home craftsmen buy 20 kilograms of soybeans a day, for trading capital they usually buy Rp 9,000-Rp 10,000 per kilogram,” he said when contacted by Kompas.com.

“Suppose that if they buy it at a price of Rp. 10,000 per kilogram, the capital is Rp. 200,000, while if it is sold into processed tofu, the Rp. kilograms are not enough,” he continued.