Chillies on balconies, rooftops as Indonesians battle supply crunch

Shortage due to drought-induced crop failure has caused prices to surge beyond threefold

- Linda Yulisman

JAKARTA - From West Sumatra's dendeng balado (chilli beef) to North Sulawesi's spicy chicken rica-rica stew, Indonesian food is never complete without chilli.

Even fast-food chains McDonald's and KFC are turning up the heat in their menus, dishing out crispy chicken slathered in sambal.

But a shortage of supply due to drought-induced crop failure has led chilli prices to rise beyond threefold to more than 100,000 rupiah (S$8.60) a kilogram, prompting Agriculture Minister Amran Sulaiman in late October to urge people to plant the crop in their yards.

Indonesia usually produces around two million tonnes of chillies a year, with most of the crop planted in Java and Sumatra. Some of the produce is exported. But in the first nine months of 2023, the country has faced shortage of supply due to unusually dry weather caused by the El Nino phenomenon.

Singapore is among the countries that import Indonesian chilli. Others include Saudi Arabia, Malaysia and Nigeria.

Indonesia's chilli export to Singapore dropped by nearly 15 per cent by value US$180,260 to (S$240,100) in the January-October period, compared with the same period a year ago, according to data from Indonesia's Trade Ministry.

By volume, the chilli export to Singapore was 11 per cent lower, to 238.53 tonnes in the same comparative period.

The soaring domestic prices of chillies has prompted a number of Indonesians living in narrow urban spaces to grow the crop on their rooftops and balconies.

In November, East Jakarta resident Siti Nur Asipah put rotten chillies in three used paint buckets on her third-floor rooftop. Within weeks, they grew into seven plants, adding to the vegetables, fruits and herbs in her garden.

"I water them only when I have time. Chillies really don't need special treatment," she told The Sunday Times.