Dian Kuswandini, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Something has been missing on many Jakarta dining tables in the past two days: everyone's favorite tofu and tempeh dishes.
Thousands of tofu and tempeh producers and vendors in Greater Jakarta began a three-day strike Monday to protest the rocketing price of soybeans, causing disappointment among customers who couldn't find the products at markets.
Sahiri, 41, who has a stall at Pondok Gede traditional market in Bekasi, said customers kept asking about tofu and tempeh throughout the morning.
"But all I could offer was yesterday's tofu stock," he told The Jakarta Post.
One customer, Nurul, a house helper, said she had tried to find tempeh in another nearby market but couldn't find any.
"Tempeh is always part of the daily menu of my employer's family," she said.
A food seller in Palmerah, West Jakarta, Soleha, was forced to set aside the soybean-based products from her stall. She said her customers had been looking for tofu and tempeh, as both were favorite dishes.
"I told them that there would be no such menu until Wednesday because of the strike," said the 35-year-old woman.
Along with the strike, some 10,000 tofu and tempeh producers and vendors rallied at the State Palace on Monday, demanding the government lower soybean prices and discontinue the free trade policy that allows private companies to control prices.
"The State Logistics Agency should take over control of the soybean market again," said Asep Hidayat, the demonstration coordinator.
He said soybeans were imported from the U.S. and the price had been on the rise since January last year.
"It was around Rp 3,300 (30 U.S. cents) per kilogram last January, but now it's Rp 7,400," Asep, who is head of the Tangerang Tofu and Tempeh Communication Forum.
He said the rising soybean prices had forced producers to stop producing tofu and tempeh, reduce output or raise prices.
"The production cost for a quintal of tofu or tempeh now is Rp 950,000, but we can only sell them for Rp 900,000," said Asep, who estimated his losses at approximately Rp 400,000 per day over past weeks.
He added there were more than 3,000 tofu and tempeh producers in Greater Jakarta and almost 20 percent of them had no business at the moment.
Ati, 37, a tofu seller at Serdang traditional market in Sunter, North Jakarta, said it would be hard to raise the price of tofu again since it had already been increased from Rp 1,000 per piece to Rp 2,500 or Rp 3,000.
"It's been stressful during the past three months. We can't increase the price again or customers will protest and stop buying."
The demonstration edged toward violence as protesters tried to enter the Palace, but some 600 police officers deployed to secure the area calmed them and representatives of the group were allowed to have a discussion with presidential spokesperson Andi Mallarangeng and Trade Minister Mari E. Pangestu.
Bean curd, which can be prepared in any number of ways including vegetarian and dietary recipes, has long been a food staple for Indonesian families. In addition to being inexpensive, it is considered healthy.
Something has been missing on many Jakarta dining tables in the past two days: everyone's favorite tofu and tempeh dishes.
Thousands of tofu and tempeh producers and vendors in Greater Jakarta began a three-day strike Monday to protest the rocketing price of soybeans, causing disappointment among customers who couldn't find the products at markets.
Sahiri, 41, who has a stall at Pondok Gede traditional market in Bekasi, said customers kept asking about tofu and tempeh throughout the morning.
"But all I could offer was yesterday's tofu stock," he told The Jakarta Post.
One customer, Nurul, a house helper, said she had tried to find tempeh in another nearby market but couldn't find any.
"Tempeh is always part of the daily menu of my employer's family," she said.
A food seller in Palmerah, West Jakarta, Soleha, was forced to set aside the soybean-based products from her stall. She said her customers had been looking for tofu and tempeh, as both were favorite dishes.
"I told them that there would be no such menu until Wednesday because of the strike," said the 35-year-old woman.
Along with the strike, some 10,000 tofu and tempeh producers and vendors rallied at the State Palace on Monday, demanding the government lower soybean prices and discontinue the free trade policy that allows private companies to control prices.
"The State Logistics Agency should take over control of the soybean market again," said Asep Hidayat, the demonstration coordinator.
He said soybeans were imported from the U.S. and the price had been on the rise since January last year.
"It was around Rp 3,300 (30 U.S. cents) per kilogram last January, but now it's Rp 7,400," Asep, who is head of the Tangerang Tofu and Tempeh Communication Forum.
He said the rising soybean prices had forced producers to stop producing tofu and tempeh, reduce output or raise prices.
"The production cost for a quintal of tofu or tempeh now is Rp 950,000, but we can only sell them for Rp 900,000," said Asep, who estimated his losses at approximately Rp 400,000 per day over past weeks.
He added there were more than 3,000 tofu and tempeh producers in Greater Jakarta and almost 20 percent of them had no business at the moment.
Ati, 37, a tofu seller at Serdang traditional market in Sunter, North Jakarta, said it would be hard to raise the price of tofu again since it had already been increased from Rp 1,000 per piece to Rp 2,500 or Rp 3,000.
"It's been stressful during the past three months. We can't increase the price again or customers will protest and stop buying."
The demonstration edged toward violence as protesters tried to enter the Palace, but some 600 police officers deployed to secure the area calmed them and representatives of the group were allowed to have a discussion with presidential spokesperson Andi Mallarangeng and Trade Minister Mari E. Pangestu.
Bean curd, which can be prepared in any number of ways including vegetarian and dietary recipes, has long been a food staple for Indonesian families. In addition to being inexpensive, it is considered healthy.
