Snakehead fish price touches IDR90.000 per kg

Haruan or ikan gabus (snakehead fish). (Antaranews Kalsel/Hasan Z)

Because the goods are rare, now the price become expensive. Medium size pepuyu which is usually IDR30,000 now becomes IDR50,000 per kg at the merchant level,

Banjarmasin, S Kalimantan (ANTARA) - Snakehead fish price has jumped from IDR55,000 to IDR90,000 per kilogram in the capital city of in Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan as a result of scarcity when freshwater fish production center in South and Central Kalimantan are suffering drought.

Snakehead fish (known in Kalimantan as haruan or ikan gabus in Bahasa Indonesia) is a common snakehead fish and is one of a popular and prefered dish that can be cooked in various menu.

Merchants in a number of traditional markets here on Monday (Dec 16, 2019) admitted about how difficult it is to find this freshwater fish, until they have to bring the fish from Samarinda, East Kalimantan.

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While the drought, they said, not only caused the scarcity of haruan, but also other freshwater fish, such as biawan kapar, pepuyu (climbing perch) and toman (giant snakehead fish).

According to them, it has happened in the last three months. One of the cause of drought, they said, the land of fish production has switched function into other purposes.

"Because the goods are rare, now the price become expensive. Medium size pepuyu which is usually IDR30,000 now becomes IDR50,000 per kg at the merchant level," said Abdullah, one of the merchant.

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He, who was met at the fish auction site (TPI) in RK Ilir, Banjarmasin, told that the supply usually more than one ton, but in the last three months reduced to 800 kg.

"And even then with a limited type of fish, mostly toman," he said.

Other trader, Basuni, said to fulfil the current market demand, haruan fish is mostly supplied from Samarinda. But the demand, he acknowledged, was down up to 50 percent.