Morning Notes from Kranggan Market
Tauhid Nur Azhar
While in the Special Region of Yogyakarta, I thoroughly enjoy trying out various affordable homestays that are rich in local wisdom. The uniqueness varies; some stand out because the price paid is “imbalanced” with the facilities provided, meaning it’s too cheap for such good facilities and amenities, or the location of the guesthouse is very strategic and close to various attractive destinations.
One of the guesthouses that has become my regular spot is located on Jl. Robert Wolter Monginsidi near a state vocational high school in Yogyakarta. What’s special about this guesthouse is that it is priced affordably with “wow” facilities and is located near a 24-hour coffee shop. Isn’t that great?
But what’s even more exciting is that the guesthouse is close to the Kranggan market in the Tugu area, which is rich in the culinary treasures of the archipelago. From gudeg gongso in the morning to angkringan and tengkleng in the evening, everything can be reached on foot.
Apart from that, staying at this guesthouse has given me a morning hobby. I enjoy observing the activities at the Kranggan market, which is already bustling with various vehicles and people from 2–3 AM. Fresh vegetables from the mountains, perhaps from Kopeng, Bandungan, or even Dieng, start arriving. Similarly, styrofoam boxes of various sizes filled with fish, including live freshwater fish and frozen seafood. Countless trucks and pickups carrying poultry like ducks and chickens come and go, unloading their cargo.
As dawn approaches, with still dim lighting, a harmonious orchestra of various commodity piles can be seen. Chili peppers form a vibrant red mountain. Cabbage, carrots, lettuce, mustard greens, turnips, and pumpkins seem to be participating in a carnival, appearing beautifully and impressively.
On the other side, the piles of spices and rhizomes not only display beautiful formations but also present a symphony of aromas filled with exotic notes. These aromas once attracted many Europeans to the allure of the archipelago. For us, the allure of the archipelago from these exotic aromas, in turn, brought misfortune, especially when greed intertwined with lust led many parties to engage in evil conspiracies full of deception.
Still, in the same market, from the dim lighting, the call to prayer for Subuh can be heard, signaling the start of the congregational prayer. As the prayer ends, the market becomes lively with the chatter of traders and buyers starting their day with beautiful interactions. If literacy is often associated with intelligence, then interaction, for me, is a form of beauty. The multi-dimensional communication ability of humans is a wonder to me; there is sensitivity to situations, skill in managing stimulation, and diplomacy and persuasion skills that almost certainly accompany various transaction processes.
Almost all these communication models can be seen in a market, especially in the morning. A fundamental question arises: why do all these people come in the early morning with temperatures suitable for romantic escapades, crowding and negotiating like that?
The answer lies in consumption needs. Humans, chemically part of the thermodynamic process chain with their enthalpy-entropy concept, are energy consumers. Energy intake, known as consumption, is needed to produce vital or biological energy. Metabolic and anabolic agents are required. Carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals are needed for optimal supportive functions and to provide a maximal role in living a normal and proportional life.
Therefore, food and its provision are always crucial issues and elements. Perhaps one of the elementary needs when we form a consensus about nationhood is the assurance of the energy supply chain in the ecobiological cycle present in the national food provision system. Although it is not explicitly stated that a nation is formed so its people can eat, it is elegantly conveyed in the form of ensuring welfare.
The assurance of welfare related to the food sector is part of a complex and intricate system. There are demographic, geographic, meteorological, oceanographic, macro and microeconomic issues, as well as diplomacy, alliances, and high-level bilateral relations. Essentially, providing food through the availability of food ingredients is one of the essences with high urgency, or perhaps the highest.
Now, let’s talk about data and facts. Let’s examine together from around 2023 how the food consumption patterns of individuals who are part of Indonesian society actually look.
If we refer to the BPS publication titled “Calorie and Protein Consumption of the Indonesian Population and Provinces, March 2023,” we find that the average calorie and protein consumption per capita per day in Indonesia is 2,100 kcal and 62 grams. This figure indicates that the calorie and protein consumption of the Indonesian population has met the recommended nutritional adequacy standards.
BPS data also reveals the food consumption patterns of the Indonesian population in 2023. Here is the percentage contribution of each food group to total consumption: rice; 10.63%, tubers; 0.38%, fish/shrimp/squid/shellfish; 5.91%, meat; 3.52%, eggs and milk; 3.51%, vegetables; 7.82%, legumes; 2.63%, fruits; 4.97%, oil and coconut; 3.00%, beverage ingredients; 2.44%, spices; 2.51%, ready-to-eat food and beverages; 35.70%, and cigarettes; 15.43%.
From this data, it is evident that the consumption of ready-to-eat food and beverages has the largest share in the population’s consumption pattern, followed by cigarette consumption.
BPS also reports the prevalence of food consumption inadequacy in Indonesia in 2023 at 8.53%. This figure indicates the percentage of the population whose food consumption is below the recommended adequacy level.
Meanwhile, in the publication titled “Expenditure for Population Consumption in Indonesia, March 2023,” BPS notes that the average expenditure per capita per month for food consumption is Rp 1,200,000, while for non-food items it is Rp 800,000. This indicates that the proportion of expenditure for food consumption is still higher than for non-food items.
If we discuss the concept of the supply chain and the process of meeting needs (food), we certainly need to understand and base our analysis on supply and demand data, right? Referring to the data in the publication “Potential of Indonesian Agriculture: A New Map of Sustainable Agriculture” released in September 2024, the production of rice as a major food crop commodity experienced a significant increase in 2023.
Rice production reached 55 million tons of milled dry paddy, an increase from the previous year. This increase was due to an expansion in harvested area and productivity. With a per capita rice consumption of about 100 kg per year and a population of around 275 million, the national rice requirement is estimated at around 27.5 million tons per year. Therefore, domestic rice production has met the national consumption needs.
In the publication “Peternakan Dalam Angka 2023,” released in December 2023, BPS reported that the production of beef and buffalo meat reached 0.5 million tons in 2023. However, with a per capita beef consumption of around 2.5 kg per year, the national requirement reaches approximately 0.7 million tons. This indicates that domestic beef production is not yet sufficient to meet the entire national consumption demand, so imports are still needed to cover the shortfall.
As an archipelagic country with extraordinary maritime potential, the fisheries sector, both capture and aquaculture, certainly has a significant contribution to efforts to increase food supply and the nutritional quality of the population, right? Based on BPS data, the production of capture and aquaculture fisheries reached 14 million tons in 2023. With a per capita fish consumption of around 50 kg per year, the national requirement is estimated at approximately 13.75 million tons. This indicates that domestic fisheries production has met the national consumption demand.
Of course, the data presented above still invites notes and input, especially regarding several emerging points, such as the per capita fish consumption rate, which is only around 50 kg/year. Compare this with Japan, which imports many of our fishery products, such as tuna and swordfish, where their fish consumption rate has reached 140 kg/capita/year in 2021.
We also need to study together the data on the still high figures for the consumption and expenditure on ready-to-eat food and cigarettes, which indicate a certain lifestyle that does not fully accommodate holistic health concepts. These concepts are one of the fundamental elements in efforts to improve the quality of life of the nation’s children.
The morning notes from Kranggan market led me to daydream this morning, accompanied by a cup of Kapal Api brewed coffee, on the front terrace of the guest room in Monginsidi. Before I knew it, the drizzle started to greet Jogja, as if it were a sign that it was time for me to get back to work, oh sorry, to get back under the thick blanket and enjoy the rest of the vacation day with all my heart’s gratitude.
