Bapanas Chief Oversees Broiler Chicken Price Stability for Farmers

The Head of the National Food Agency (Bapanas), who also serves as Minister of Agriculture, Andi Amran Sulaiman, is overseeing the stability of broiler chicken prices at the farm level by increasing the absorption of poultry production through the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) programme. Amran stated that the government has agreed to increase the consumption of chicken meat and eggs in the MBG programme to three or even five times a week to support the uptake of farmers’ produce. “We have agreed that the MBG (free nutritious meals) consumption of chicken and eggs will be increased within a week. If necessary, it can be three or five times per week,” Amran said in a statement received in Jakarta on Friday. According to him, this step is part of the government’s effort to maintain a balance between supply and demand amid concerns over broiler chicken prices. To realise this policy, Amran has coordinated with the Head of the National Nutrition Agency, Nanik Sudaryati Deyang, so that chicken meat and eggs produced by farmers can be optimally absorbed by the Nutrition Fulfilment Service Units (SPPG). The government’s commitment to protecting the sustainability of domestic poultry farmers’ businesses is reinforced by ensuring absorption through government programmes. After fully committing to supporting layer chicken farmers, the government is now also supporting live bird or broiler chicken farmers. Nationally, the price movement of layer chicken eggs at the farm level has shown a slight increase over the past three days. Bapanas monitoring found that the average price of eggs from 9 to 11 June moved positively by 0.025 percent, from Rp24,075 per kilogram to Rp24,081 per kg. However, the price condition of broiler chickens at the farm level remains a concern for the government. Previously, in a coordination meeting held in Semarang, Central Java, a commitment was decided that must be adhered to by all members of the Indonesian Poultry Association (Pinsar Indonesia). The Director of Food Supply and Price Stabilisation at Bapanas, Maino Dwi Hartono, said the commitment to implement live bird prices is expected to move closer to the Reference Purchase Price (HAP) for broiler chickens at the farm level. MBG partners are also required to support direct absorption from farmers. “This joint commitment is an effort to gradually normalise our chicken farmers’ prices,” Maino said, adding that the government will oversee Pinsar Indonesia’s commitment. The joint commitment with Pinsar Indonesia stipulates that the purchase price of live birds from 10 June is set at Rp15,500 per kg live weight in Central Java and Rp16,000 per kg live weight in West Java and East Java. On 12 June, the price will increase to Rp17,000 per kg live weight for Central Java and Rp17,500 per kg live weight for West Java and East Java. The target is that by 15 June, the live bird price is expected to reach Rp19,500 per kg live weight for all regions in Java.