Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Some 3,000 tofu and tempe (fermented soybean cake) producers staged a rally outside the presidential palace here on Monday, urging the government to stabilize the soybean price which jumped almost 100 percent in the past year.
To get their demand fulfilled, the demonstrators agreed to cease production for three days starting on Monday, tofu producer Kliwono Sutoro said.
The soybean price spiral dealt a major blow to tofu and tempe producers as the selling prices of the products remained, he said.
"Consumers do not want the prices of tofu and tempe increased," he said.
He said the skyrocketing soybean price had reduced tofu and tempe producers` profit margins.
The retail soybean price jumped 110 percent to Rp7,250 a kg early in January 2008 from the same period last year.
The demonstrators hailed from Jakarta and environs such as Bogor, Tangerang, Bekasi and Bandung. They arrived in tens of buses and trucks, making traffic in front of the presidential palace congested.
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