JAKARTA - The government is moving quickly to respond to the plummeting price of eggs and live chickens at the level of farmers who in recent weeks have sparked complaints from poultry production centers in various regions.
One of the steps taken is to increase the absorption of eggs and chicken meat through the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) Program managed by the National Nutrition Agency (BGN).
Minister of Agriculture Andi Amran Sulaiman said the government had coordinated directly with BGN to increase the frequency of serving eggs and chickens in the MBG menu. This step is expected to absorb the surplus of production, which has been pushing prices at the level of farmers.
"We immediately called the Head of BGN, saying that if it could be in one week, usually the consumption of eggs once, can be three times, including chicken," said Amran after meeting President Prabowo Subianto at the Presidential Palace, Jakarta, Thursday, June 18.
According to Amran, the proposal has received a positive response from BGN and is expected to help raise prices that have fallen in recent months.
"So the price started to creep up, and we all agreed," he said.
This government step was taken after the price of eggs at the farmer level experienced a sharp decline due to excess supply and weak market absorption.
Data from the National Food Agency shows that the price of pure chicken eggs at the producer level has dropped from Rp. 27,236 per kilogram in March to around Rp. 24,424 per kilogram in early June 2026. Even in a number of production centers, prices have been far below the cost of production for farmers.
In Blitar Regency, East Java, which is one of the largest national egg centers, the price of eggs in the cage was reported to have touched Rp20,600 per kilogram. This figure is below the cost of production which is estimated to reach around Rp23,000 per kilogram, so many farmers are losing money.
This condition even prompted the protest of farmers by distributing millions of eggs for free to the public.
Similar price pressures also occurred in a number of other livestock centers. Based on data presented in a meeting between the government and farmers in early June, the price of eggs in some areas was in the range of Rp. 21,000 to Rp. 22,000 per kilogram, far below the Purchase Reference Price (HAP) set by the government at Rp. 26,500 per kilogram.
Responding to this condition, the Ministry of Agriculture together with the National Food Agency has set the HAP of pure chicken eggs at the level of farmers at Rp. 26,500 per kilogram.
The government also involves the Food Task Force of the National Police to monitor the implementation of the reference price so that farmers are not further harmed by price games at the intermediary level.
In addition to increasing absorption through MBG, Amran revealed that his party had gathered layer and broiler farmers from various regions to discuss market stabilization measures.
"We gather farmers for chickens and eggs, we collect, we discuss. Then we give some solutions," he said.
The government hopes that the increase in the consumption of eggs and chickens through the MBG program can be an effective instrument to absorb the national production surplus while maintaining prices at the level of farmers to remain profitable.
This step is considered important considering that the current national egg production is in a surplus condition, while the absorption capacity of the market has not been able to keep up with the increase in supply throughout 2026.
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