Agricom.id, SURABAYA - Ministry of Agriculture made sure that the stocks of garlic in Indonesia are in good condition. The garlic imports from China are now in three big ports in Indonesia, they are, Tanjung Priok (Jakarta), Tanjung Perak (Surabaya), dan Belawan (Medan), and via Batam.

General Director of Horticulture, Ministry of Agriculture, Prihasto Setyanto said that when seeing the garlic import in the Balai Karantina Tanjung Perak, Surabaya. They are imported by CV. Semangat Tani Maju Bersama (STMB) which got the license and recommendation of import from the government.

In 2020, ministry of agriculture published RIPH (Rekomendasi Impor Produk Holtikultura) for the garlic reaching about 450.000 tons for the next 10 - 11 month needs. The imports are now in the three big ports in Indonesia since 11 March. The total is 7.700 tons of garlic through Surabaya.

"Today in Tanjung Perak, Surabaya there have been 1.500 tons of imported garlic from china in 40 containers. It is hoped that the garlic which is 30.000 per kilogram now could be Rp 20.000 to Rp 25.000 per kg. The garlic is now sold in many markets in Indonesia,” he said, Monday (30/3/2020) as in the official statement to Agricom.id.

He thought that there would be 100 -150 containers in the four ports in every single week. The people should not worry and be panic buying because the government keeps maintaining the stocks.

"This would keep running. There are schedules until the end of this year. Next week, there would be here because we have published RIPH for 450.000 tons of garlic to 54 importers," he emphasized.

The 54 importers are obliged to plant garlic in many regions in Indonesia and they should cooperate with the local farmers. This run after their import orders come to Indonesia until the next one year.

Not only garlic, ministry of agriculture has published the onion import recommendation because it is about Rp 120 ribu per kg. Prihasto confessed that the importers who got the licenses should import it from China, Australia, and New Zealand. His side has published the import recommendation for about 227 thousand tons.

"In the midst of April there would be imported onion and this could make it cheaper until Rp 25.000 per kg. Once again, we asked the people not to worry. We guarantee, the food stocks during the epidemic of corona virus would be in good condition and controlled,” he said. (A2)