Central Java SPPG Required to Source Eggs and Chicken from Local Farmers

Semarang (ANTARA) - Nutritional Fulfilment Service Units (SPPG) in Central Java are now required to absorb eggs and chicken meat to support the free nutritious meal programme (MBG). This agreement was formalised in a ‘Joint Commitment on the Absorption of Eggs and Chicken Meat in the Free Nutritious Meal Programme’, signed during a coordination meeting at the Central Java Governor’s Office complex in Semarang on Friday. The commitment was signed by the Central Java Provincial Government, the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), farmer associations, and farmer cooperatives. “There is already an agreement, so SPPG in Central Java must comply with this,” said Central Java Deputy Governor Taj Yasin Maimoen. The joint commitment contains three main points. First, the MBG menu in Central Java will include eggs and chicken meat at least twice a week each. Second, associations and cooperatives of layer and broiler chicken farmers are ready to supply products according to agreed quality standards and deliver them directly to SPPG partner kitchen locations. Third, purchases will be made directly from Central Java farmers’ associations or cooperatives at agreed prices: Rp26,000 per kilogram for eggs and Rp35,000 per kilogram for chicken carcass, equivalent to Rp20,000 per kilogram live weight. Taj Yasin, who also serves as Head of the Central Java MBG Task Force, stated that this scheme is part of structuring the MBG programme to ensure it runs more purposefully, particularly regarding menus and the food supply chain. He emphasised that SPPG in Central Java must purchase food supplies from within the province, whether managed by cooperatives or associations. He stressed that price regulation is crucial to prevent price disparities in the market, and the government will ensure transactions adhere to the reference prices set. Meanwhile, Director of Public Empowerment and Participation at BGN, Tengku Syahdana, said the agreement marks a milestone in standardising the MBG menu implementation across all SPPG. He added that the commitment would be communicated to all district/city MBG acceleration task forces and SPPG partner foundations, with monitoring to ensure compliance. Suwardi, Chairman of the Central Java Poultry Farmers Cooperative (KPUS), noted that if all kitchens in Central Java use eggs twice a week, approximately 1,050 tonnes of eggs would be absorbed weekly.