DPR Member Pushes for Egg Intervention via MBG to Protect Farmers
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Muhammad Sarmuji, a member of Commission VI of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI), is pushing for absorption intervention through the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) programme to keep egg prices stable and protect small-scale farmers.
Sarmuji highlighted the situation currently faced by small-scale laying hen farmers, where amid high feed prices, egg prices at the farm level in production centres, one of which is in Blitar, East Java, experienced a significant decline on 7 April 2026.
“There is currently a serious imbalance. Feed prices remain high, but egg prices at the farm level have dropped to around Rp21,000 to Rp22,000 per kilogram. This situation clearly harms farmers and cannot be allowed to continue,” said Sarmuji in a statement in Jakarta on Tuesday.
According to him, the situation requires quick action as a short-term solution to maintain the sustainability of small-scale farmers’ businesses. Without intervention, this pressure could weaken the national livestock sector, which has long been an important pillar of food security.
The effort is expected to increase egg demand in the market so that farm-level prices can return to more rational levels.
“The MBG programme can be an effective instrument to absorb farmers’ egg production. By increasing the frequency of egg menus, we can help balance prices while ensuring the nutrition programme runs optimally,” he said.
Sarmuji also revealed that his side has received many complaints from farmers, especially from production centres such as Blitar and other regions.
“Complaints from farmers keep coming in. This shows the problem is real and felt directly by business actors in the field. The government needs to immediately step in with responsive and targeted policies,” said the legislator from East Java.
Sarmuji emphasised that his side will continue to push the government to take concrete steps to maintain price balance and protect the sustainability of small-scale laying hen farmers.