Jakarta (ANTARA) – Trade Minister Budi Santoso has urged cooking oil producers to increase the production of second-brand products to complement the government’s Minyakita program and help maintain supply and price stability ahead of Ramadan and Eid.He said the government does not want the public to rely solely on Minyakita, as the product is a market intervention instrument based on the domestic market obligation (DMO) scheme, whose volume is limited and dependent on export performance.“Second brands are companions to Minyakita. They are affordable like Minyakita, but the quality is the same, or even better if possible,” he said while inspecting a cooking oil factory in Bekasi, West Java, on Thursday.Second brands refer to alternative cooking oil labels produced by the same factory or business group as a main brand, but sold at more affordable prices.He explained that before the Minyakita program was implemented, dozens of second-brand cooking oil products were available on the market, but their number has since declined, causing consumers to focus mainly on Minyakita.According to the minister, Minyakita was initially introduced as an intervention tool when crude palm oil (CPO) export prices rose and domestic supply tightened, but it has now often been treated as the main indicator of cooking oil availability.He stressed that second-brand products are not subject to a government-set retail price ceiling, but are expected to use Minyakita’s price as a reference.“The Minyakita retail price ceiling of Rp15,700 per liter was set three years ago and has not changed, while CPO prices have increased,” he said.As of February 5, 2026, Minyakita distribution had reached around 33 percent of the 35 percent DMO target, with the national average price declining to about Rp16,200 per liter.The government will continue monitoring the market and stand ready to intervene if prices rise ahead of major religious holidays, he added.