RRi.CO.ID, Jakarta - Bird's eye chilli prices remain volatile in North Sumatra. In Deli Serdang, prices recently reached 55,000 rupiah per kilogram after beginning to rise in the fourth week of June.

At that time, bird's eye chilli sold for around 30,000 to 32,000 rupiah per kilogram. It is now priced at about 48,000 rupiah per kilogram in the same market.

The sharp fluctuations are mainly caused by North Sumatra's reliance on supplies from other regions. Lower supplies in recent weeks also continue to push prices higher.

Red chilli prices follow a different pattern and stabilized after a brief increase. Prices reached 50,000 rupiah per kilogram in Deli Serdang and Medan during the last week of June before falling back to around 32,000 to 35,000 rupiah per kilogram.

Weather conditions and supply from other production areas continue to influence red chilli prices. Meanwhile, tomato prices remain high at around 16,000 rupiah per kilogram after staying between 13,000 and 16,000 rupiah over the past month.

Higher tomato prices bring higher returns for farmers. Unlike tomatoes, chicken meat remains affordable in local markets at around 28,000 to 32,000 rupiah per kilogram.

At the farm gate, live chickens sell for only 17,000 to 18,000 rupiah per kilogram. Many poultry farmers continue to face financial pressure after previously dealing with higher feed costs.

Weak consumer demand remains the main reason behind low chicken prices. Egg prices have also declined and currently range from 1,600 to 2,100 rupiah per egg, while most staple food prices are expected to remain stable over the coming week as supply and demand conditions show little change.

Writer: Gunawan Benjamin (Economist, Islamic University of North Sumatra)