The war in Ukraine, the pandemic and local speculators are being blamed for the crisis.

A brief overview of the situation in Indonesia this March. By the middle of the month, people began queuing at local shops from 4.00 a.m. to buy cooking oil. By the time the shops opened, the queue already stretched for 2 km through the city in central Java. Those who managed to get a pack of oil were lucky. There was a shortage of oil across all of Indonesia. In the East Kalimantan province on the island of Borneo, where almost two-fifths of Indonesia's palm oil is produced, at least two home-based producers died while waiting in line in April.

In February, the Indonesian government set a maximum retail price for cooking oil (made from palm oil) – 14,000 rupiah ($1) per litre for premium oil and 11,500 rupiah for the cheaper variety. Overnight, shelves were emptied across the country of 273 million people. For most Indonesians, imported oil is an unaffordable luxury. The price cap was lifted on 16 March, at which point stocks miraculously reappeared. However, prices have more than tripled. (...)
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