Blitar Raya Small-Scale Farmers Demand Government Protection

Hundreds of small-scale poultry farmers from the Blitar Raya Farmers’ Association staged a protest in Blitar, East Java, demanding government protection for small-scale farmers. Suyanto, coordinator of the association, said egg prices have plummeted to Rp20,600 per kilogram at farm level, while production cost (HPP) is Rp23,000 per kilogram. The government’s reference purchase price (HAP) is set between Rp24,500 and Rp26,500 per kilogram. He added that this decline is compounded by rising feed prices, with increases of up to Rp30,000 per sack. Chicken feed, for example, which previously cost Rp370,000 per 50kg sack, now costs Rp400,000, with some rising from Rp400,000 to Rp430,000 per sack. He noted that corn prices, currently ranging from Rp6,400 to Rp6,500 per kilogram, are significantly below the government’s SPHP (Food Supply and Price Stabilisation) target of Rp5,500 per kilogram. Farmers are forced to sell household valuables to buy feed but remain uncertain when conditions will normalise. Alongside other small-scale farmers from Blitar, Kediri, Tulungagung, and Malang, they staged the protest to ensure their concerns are heard. In addition to plummeting egg prices and high feed costs, farmers are also concerned about foreign investors entering Indonesia’s poultry farming sector. They urged the government to implement strict regulations to protect small-scale farmers and ensure their survival. Meanwhile, Blitar Regent Rijanto, who met with the farmers, acknowledged their distress as poultry farmers face the threat of bankruptcy. ‘Latest farm-level prices are at Rp21,000. If this continues, they will be forced to shut down, especially with rising feed costs. The geopolitical situation is having a huge impact as the US dollar continues to rise,’ he said. He plans to relay the farmers’ complaints to the central government, noting that Blitar produces 450 tonnes of eggs daily. During the protest, farmers displayed posters outlining their demands and distributed eggs to the public as a social gesture.