Chili price spike lifts Indonesian September inflation to 0.30%

Indonesian consumer prices rose 0.30% in September 2026, with chili and broiler chicken named as the main drivers, finance.detik.com reported. The month closed with red bird’s eye chili still quoted above Rp100,000 per kilogram on traditional markets, while city trade offices in Palembang and Padang moved to respond to local shortfalls traced to drought and failed harvests in supplying districts.

Chili leads the national price board

Data from the National Strategic Food Price Information Centre (PIHPS), cited by Liputan6.com, put the national average traditional-market price of red bird’s eye chili at Rp105,450 per kilogram on Thursday, 1 October 2026 — up 9.79%, or Rp9,400, in a single session. Curly red chili climbed more steeply in percentage terms, gaining 17.02% to Rp81,150 per kilogram, the largest increase among all commodities tracked that day.

• Red bird’s eye chili: Rp105,450 per kg, up 9.79%
• Curly red chili: Rp81,150 per kg, up 17.02%
• Green bird’s eye chili: Rp65,450 per kg, down 3.54%
• Large red chili: Rp56,750 per kg, down 0.35%
• Shallots: Rp41,250 per kg, up 10.15%; garlic: Rp38,900 per kg, down 0.26%
• Fresh broiler chicken: Rp43,950 per kg, up 4.39%; chicken eggs: Rp29,250 per kg, down 2.34%

Beef moved in the opposite direction: grade 1 fell 2.66% to Rp148,400 per kilogram and grade 2 slipped 0.77% to Rp142,050, according to the same PIHPS series. Suara.com reported that alongside chili, certain rice grades, cooking oil and sugar also became more expensive at the end of September, while meat prices eased.

Drought and failed harvests in Sumatra

In Palembang, South Sumatra, curly red chili reached Rp70,000 per kilogram at trader level, up from around Rp45,000 previously — a jump of roughly 56%. Koran Jakarta reported the increase, citing Gani, a chili trader at Pasar 7 Ulu, who attributed it to crop failure among farmers in supplying areas including Ogan Ilir Regency. The publication linked the supply shortage to a prolonged dry season in producing districts.

A comparable level was recorded in West Sumatra. Tribun reported that red chili at Pasar Raya in Padang broke through Rp70,000 per kilogram at the end of September 2026, with traders there also pointing to crop failure. The price move is already cutting turnover: Tika, a trader at Pasar 10 Ulu in Palembang, told Koran Jakarta that daily chili sales had fallen from an average of 40–50 kg to about 15 kg, a decline of roughly two thirds.

City administrations target hoarding

The Palembang Trade Office has intensified monitoring of traditional markets to pre-empt price speculation and hoarding. Elsa Noviani, head of its price stabilisation and trade distribution facilities division, said on Wednesday, 30 September, that the checks cover trader stalls in the city’s main markets, including Pasar KM 5, Pasar Lemabang, Pasar Soak Bato, Pasar 10 Ulu and Pasar 16 Ilir.

“We are intensifying monitoring in traditional markets to ensure there is no increase in the price of basic necessities beyond the limits set by the government,” Elsa Noviani said, as quoted by Koran Jakarta. She added that traders found raising prices above official ceilings or stockpiling goods would face firm sanctions under applicable rules. The city administration also urged traders not to use the supply shortage to take excess margins.