Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Central Statistics Agency (BPS) reported inflation in processed soy products -- tofu and tempe -- in December 2020 after soybean prices increased in the global market.
"Raw tofu has recorded an inflation of 0.06 percent, and tempe experienced an inflation of 0.05 percent," Deputy for Distribution and Services at BPS Setianto stated during a virtual press conference in Jakarta on Monday.
Despite recording monthly inflation in December 2020, Setianto gauged that the two processed soybean commodities were not significant contributors to national inflation.
"However, these two commodities contributed a little to the national inflation," he affirmed.
According to the BPS, monthly inflation in December 2020 had reached 0.45 percent, or an increase from 0.28 percent in November 2020.
In December 2020, the expenditure group of food, beverage, and tobacco products recorded the largest share of inflation at 0.38 percent, with inflation touching 1.49 percent.
This was followed by transportation contributing 0.06 percent, with inflation in December 2020 bracing 0.46 percent and the provision of food and beverages/restaurants contributing 0.02 percent, with inflation in December 2020 reaching 0.27 percent.
Data from the Association of Indonesian Tofu and Tempe Cooperatives (Gakoptindo) earlier indicated that the current price of soybeans had climbed to Rp9,300 per kilogram since three months ago in the range of Rp6,000 to 7,000 per kilogram.
Meanwhile, Agriculture Minister Syahrul Yasin Limpo stated on a separate occasion that the rising soybean price in the world market was part of the global contraction.
The minister noted that the rise in soybean prices was influenced by the main producing country, the United States.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Trade attributed the rise in soybean prices to increased demand from China, the world's largest soybean importer.
In the meantime, Indonesia is the biggest soybean importer after China.
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