JAKARTA - The Business Competition Supervisory Commission (KPPU) believes that the surge in garlic prices that occurred in February 2020 is not directly related to the coronavirus epidemic in China. This was stated by Guntur Saragih, a member of KPPU in a press release on Friday (14/2).
According to him, the surge in the price of garlic often occurs in the first quarter of every year. Typically, the issuance of Import Recommendation of Horticulture Products (RIPH) and Import Permit (SPI) is accompanied by a scarcity of garlic supply. This lead to the price surge. "In April or June, the price of garlic will go down," he said.
As is known, on 12 February 2020, the price of garlic reached Rp 70,000 per kg in DKI Jakarta, much higher than its price on 2 January 2020 of Rp 40,000 per kg. (LK/AR)