REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, YOGYAKARTA \u2013 Trade Minister Budi Santoso has claimed\nthat the resumption of the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) programme has\nhelped improve staple food prices, one example being chicken eggs. The\nprogramme is considered to have increased egg absorption whilst\nproviding demand certainty for farmers.<\/p>\n
Budi said that egg prices, which previously hovered around Rp 26,000\nper kilogram, have now risen towards the Highest Retail Price (HET) set\nby the government at Rp 30,000 per kilogram. Egg prices are currently\nsaid to be around Rp 28,000 per kilogram.<\/p>\n
\u201cLet me give you the example of egg prices \u2014 what was the egg price\nyesterday? Rp 26 (thousand). Rp 26 (thousand), when the HET is what? Rp\n30,000, right? That Rp 30,000 HET is the Highest Retail Price,\u201d Budi\ntold journalists in Yogyakarta on Thursday (23\/7\/2026).<\/p>\n
According to him, prices moving closer to the HET indicate a balance\nbetween the interests of producers and consumers. Prices that are too\nlow, he said, risk causing farmers to make losses and halt production,\nwhich could ultimately trigger shortages and price increases.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf producers lose money, they could shut down and stop producing. If\nthey stop producing, there will be no eggs, and prices would actually\nrise,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Budi noted that increased egg absorption for the MBG programme is one\nof the factors driving the price improvement. The programme creates more\ncertain demand, allowing production to be adjusted to market needs.<\/p>\n
\u201cAbsorption is now better because one of the factors is that MBG is\nrunning again. So in fact, MBG can act as a balancer between demand and\nsupply,\u201d he said.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/trade-minister-claims-free-nutritious-meals-programme-boosts-staple-food-prices-including-eggs-1784998273", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }