Rising production, fluctuating prices: exploring shallot market trends in South Sulawesi, Indonesia

Purpose: to analyze the trends and fluctuations in shallot production in South Sulawesi province and shallot prices in Makassar city during the 2021–2026 observation period using linear trend analysis. Method: this study used a quantitative descriptive method and secondary monthly and annual time-series data from the South Sulawesi Central Statistics Agency and the National Strategic Food Price Information Center. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the Least Squares Method to identify production and price trends over the observation period. Findings: revealed that shallot production in South Sulawesi increased by 76.30% during 2021–2025, reaching 323,000 metric tons in 2025, with a positive annual trend of 33,961 metric tons (R² = 0.7963). Meanwhile, shallot prices in Makassar city exhibited an upward trend of IDR 209.37/kg per month during January 2023–October 2026 (R² = 0.2075), indicating considerable price fluctuations despite increasing regional production. Implications: the findings highlight the importance of integrating production development with efficient post-harvest management, improved distribution systems, and market monitoring to strengthen shallot agribusiness sustainability and promote price stability in South Sulawesi. Originality: lies in its integrated analysis of shallot production trends in South Sulawesi province and price fluctuations in Makassar city, providing recent empirical insights into the contrasting dynamics of regional production growth and consumer-level price movements during 2021–2026.