JAKARTA/SINGAPORE: At stalls in Jakarta’s Tanah Abang Market, stacks of imported dates and pistachios from Iran, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt typically lure crowds of customers.
But traders at the market, South-East Asia’s largest wholesale hub, warn that supplies of these Ramadan bestsellers are thinning and prices are rising as the escalation of the Middle East conflict has tightened the supply of goods that traditionally arrive through Gulf trade routes.
“The prices of certain dates have risen significantly... Bam dates, Golden Valley dates and pistachios. These have seen a sharp increase in just the past few weeks,” a sales attendant at the Shabani store in Tanah Abang, who gave his name only as Alfin, told The Straits Times on March 11.
He added that most of his store’s merchandise comes from importers receiving bulk volumes shipped by vessels from the Jebel Ali port in Dubai, including pistachios originating from Iran.
At Alfin’s store, the retail price of Bam dates, which also originate from Iran, has gone up to 120,000 rupiah (US$7) a kilogram, from 80,000 rupiah a few weeks ago, a 50 per cent increase. Retail prices for pistachios and almonds have risen by 30 per cent.
At Elshanum, another Tanah Abang store specialising in dates and Middle Eastern nuts, a manager told ST that his store’s retail prices for Golden Valley dates, typically among the cheapest and imported from Egypt, have climbed to around 50,000 rupiah a kilogram, up from 30,000 rupiah.
Another factor driving up the cost is that these affordable dates are a required menu item during the Muslim fasting month for President Prabowo Subianto’s free meals scheme, the store manager explained.
Dates are a signature food for breaking the fast, following the sunnah (traditions) of Prophet Muhammad, who broke his fast with dates and water. Indonesian Muslims have long maintained this practice, making dates an indispensable speciality of Ramadan meals.
Consumption of dates typically surges by as much as 50 per cent during the fasting month in Indonesia, according to Dr Kuntoro Boga Andri, director of downstream plantation products at the Ministry of Agriculture.
Date palms thrive best in the arid, desert climates typical of the Middle East and North Africa. To produce and ripen the sweet, chewy fruits, these trees require a long, scorching and extremely dry summer season, with daytime temperatures frequently exceeding 40 deg C.
The Strait of Hormuz, a critical maritime chokepoint linking the Middle East to the Arabian Sea and beyond, has seen massive disruptions as hostilities intensify.
On Feb 28, the US and Israel launched air strikes on Iran, killing its supreme leader and plunging the Middle East into war.
With commercial vessels either barred from transit or forced to take lengthy and expensive detours to avoid the volatile zone, the regular flow of maritime trade has been severely choked.
For Indonesian importers who rely on this vital artery for products from the Persian Gulf, its closure has created a severe supply bottleneck.
Cargo that would typically arrive in Jakarta within weeks is now delayed indefinitely, with bulk shipments of dates, nuts and other Ramadan staples stranded at sea.
Dr Piter Abdullah Redjalam, policy and programme director at the Jakarta-based think-tank Prasasti, said surging crude oil prices and elevated insurance premiums reflecting higher security risks have led to ballooning shipping costs and price hikes for goods.
“Even merchandise sourced from the Middle East that does not pass through the Strait of Hormuz is experiencing significant price increases due to the broader risks associated with the war,” he told ST.
Singapore, Malaysia yet to feel the squeeze
Unlike in Indonesia, importers of Muslim festive sundry goods in Malaysia and Singapore told ST that they have yet to feel the impact of the conflict in the Middle East on the supply of dates for Ramadan, as stocks for the 2026 festive season were ordered months ago.
An estimated 21 million Muslims in Malaysia are partaking in a month of fasting and reflection, compared with around 240 million in Indonesia, which is home to the world’s largest Muslim population. As the region’s largest economy, Indonesia has a population of around 280 million, with approximately 87 per cent identifying as Muslim.
In Singapore, nearly one million Muslims observe the fasting month, which culminates in the Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebrations.
Selangor-based firm Aafiyah Superfoods imports 20 to 30 tonnes of fresh produce, namely Medjool, Mazafati and Bam dates, as well as dried goods such as apricots and figs from Iran before each Ramadan.
“I’d say we’re lucky to have our shipment for this year’s Ramadan secured months before, but I can’t say the same for next Ramadan,” Abo Syamil, its general manager, told ST.
Adlee Nasry, who imports dates from Medina, Saudi Arabia, to Singapore, said delivery for the 2026 order of Ramadan dates was completed in December, so he has yet to see the effects of the Middle East conflict on the price of dates.
But traders in both countries expect price hikes in the coming months, with some recent shipments from the Middle East already incurring higher charges.
Abubakar Alsree, who runs an Arab cultural entertainment company in Singapore and imports musical instruments from Egypt, said shipment fees have risen by seven per cent to 10 per cent.
Meanwhile, in Indonesia, Muslim consumers told ST that they are taking the rising cost of dates in their stride.
A consumer who gave her name only as Ms Julaeha said she buys from the same roadside date merchant every year. The perfume merchant added that she managed to negotiate a “bargain” price for dates that largely shields her from the broader price hikes.
Andre Des Putra, a Jakarta-based car mechanic, said: “So far, we can manage. We still break our fast with dates. But if the price increase gets ridiculous, we have alternatives, such as local sweets, cakes or fruits.” - The Straits Times/ANN
