Jakarta Maritime Agriculture and Food Security (KPKP) Department prepares 50,000 chili seeds for citizens in order to meet chili demand in Jakarta. They are expected to plant it thus later chili can be harvested for their own consumption.

Other alternative is to request via balkotfarm.jakarta.go.id

"We suggest you to request it via RT/RW administrators to submit the proposal to KPKP Unit offices in each sub-districts, KPKP Sub-department office, or KPKP Department office. Other alternative is to request via balkotfarm.jakarta.go.id," explained Jakarta KPKP Department Head, Darjamuni, Thursday (8/8).

Meanwhile, Jakarta KPKP Department's Agriculture Acting Head (Plt), Suharini Eliawati conveyed, her side will intensify KPKP efforts to reduce chili's price in market, especially ahead of religious holidays such as Eid al-Adha.

"Yesterday, we have harvested 7 tons of chili from Jakarta Government's farm in Ciangir. Those chilies are directly sent to markets in Jakarta via PD. Pasar Jaya," she explained.

She also informs that PD Pasar Jaya cooperates with farmers groups (Gapoktan) in Magelang to meet chili needs in Jakarta.

"PD. Pasar Jaya also has Controlled Atmosphere Storage (CAS) to store chili supply and ensure chili stock availability. We hope all of these can help stabilizing chili price in market," she added. 

According to her, KPKP also cooperates with TPID to evaluate their work routinely and review plans to anticipate increase in chili price. Besides, they also educate and socialize residents to use processed chili as a replacement of fresh chili.

Chili is one of three food commodities that has great impacts on inflation besides shallot and rice. Bank Indonesia Representative Office of Jakarta informed that food inflation in July 2019 is 0.86 percent lower than in June 2019 that reaches 1.30 percent. It is caused by scarcity of chili by 28.21 percent from red chili and 45.96 percent from birdeye chili.