Citing Indonesian news portal detik.com, JakartaGlobe reports that no chicken kiosks were seen open on Friday in Cicadas and Kiaracondong markets, which commonly host some 200 and 60 chicken vendors, respectively.

The head of the Bandung Chicken Vendors Union (PPAB), Yoyo Sutarya, said thousands of other chicken vendors in 36 other traditional markets in the West Java capital also joined the strike, in protest against soaring chicken prices ahead of Ramadan, which is due to start late next week.

“Today raw chicken vendors in traditional markets are all joining a strike; we are ceasing from trading,” Mr Sutarya was quoted as saying.

He said the strike was also meant to show solidarity with some of their fellow chicken vendors who were reportedly forced to close down their businesses because of losses suffered due to the soaring prices of chickens from suppliers.

“We’re urging the government to seek a solution to this problem by pressuring chicken producers to standardize prices,” Mr Sutarya said.

He added that the normal price should be at Rp 24,000 ($2.5) per kilogram, but was now reacing Rp 28,000 in bigger markets and between Rp 30,000 and Rp 34,000 in smaller ones.

The prices have especially soared uncontrollably during the past week, he said.