Blitar Egg Farmers Complain about Price Intervention: When it is Controlled, it Falls and is Left

Chairman of the Blitar Egg Blessing Cooperative Yesi Yuni Astuti. (Photo: Mery Handayani/VOI)

JAKARTA - The Chairman of the Blitar Egg Blessing Cooperative, Yesi Yuni Astuti, complained about the inequality of government intervention on the price of pure chicken eggs which was considered to be detrimental to the people's farmers.

In a seminar forum held by Agrimat, Yesi conveyed the condition of farmers in the field who often face egg selling prices below the reference purchase price (HAP), while on the other hand the public still considers the price to be expensive.

Yesi said that the price of eggs at the farmer level continued to decline.

He said, at the end of March 2026, the price was at the level of Rp23,800 per kilogram (kg).

Then it fell to Rp22,000, then Rp21,500 to the lowest at Rp21,200 per kg.

"Starting from March 30 to today, the price has not been raised. It plays at Rp21,000, Rp22,000," said Yesi when delivering his complaint at the Agrimat seminar, at NICE PIK 2, Jakarta, Friday, May 8.

Yesi admitted that he was surprised when eggs were said to be a contributor to inflation, while farmers actually suffered losses due to low prices for eggs at the cage level.

"In Blitar we cried. The price of eggs is Rp. 21,000-Rp. 22,000 we have cried. But from the ministry it says eggs contribute to inflation. Where is the inflation? We are crying," he said.

According to Yesi, the main problem faced by farmers is the lack of sovereignty in determining the price of their own products. Unlike other commodities such as sugar or cooking oil which have clear margin calculations and production prices, while the price of eggs is entirely dependent on the market.

"We have no sovereignty over the price of our products. We are resigned to the market," he said.

He also revealed the alleged price game of eggs that brokers carried out through the manipulation of price information on social media. In fact, farmers in Blitar had raided someone who made a post of low egg prices as a reference for the market.

"It turns out that he is a deposit from egg brokers. The price is always low," said Yesi.

In addition, Yesi also highlighted the pressure experienced by farmers ahead of Ramadan. He admitted that the heads of cooperatives and associations of farmers were asked to sign a statement to maintain the price of eggs at a maximum of Rp. 26,500 per kg.

A few days later, he admitted that he was summoned to the East Java Police and asked to sign a stamped document related to controlling the price of eggs.

"We had to sign it even though at the time I signed the letter I was sure it would hurt my friends," he said.

According to Yesi, when the price of eggs is potentially rising during the National Religious Holiday (HBKN), the government moves quickly to intervene through market operations and cheap food movements.

"In the middle of Ramadan, the price of Blitar eggs was Rp. 27,500, I was called from the Ministry of Agriculture angry. Why Blitar Rp. 27,500? Even yesterday you had signed to keep the price of eggs at Rp. 26,500. Finally, the eggs were kept at a maximum price of Rp. 26,500 until the holiday," he said.

He emphasized that farmers do not question the government's steps to maintain price stability.

However, the government is considered to need to be present fairly both when it is soaring and when prices fall at the level of farmers.

"At a time when prices rise, the government has legal actions with market operations, with cheap food titles. It's okay. But when prices fall, there should be a balanced and rapid action from the government. That's what's fair to us. So we can walk together," he said.