Egg and Chicken Prices Gradually Recover as MBG Programme Resumes

The prices of eggs and chicken meat at Pasar Rumput in South Jakarta are gradually returning to normal levels after plummeting in recent weeks. Traders attribute the recovery to the resumption of the government’s Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) programme and the start of the new school term.

Egg trader Zabani said prices are now at Rp28,000 per kilogram, up from a low of Rp24,000 per kg during the school holiday break when the MBG programme was paused. ‘It’s back to normal now. When MBG stopped, the price really plunged. I even sold at Rp25,000 per kg at one point, which was terrible for the farmers,’ he stated on Tuesday.

Similarly, chicken meat prices have rebounded. Poultry trader Rita noted that boneless chicken fillet, which had dropped to Rp35,000 per kg, is now selling at Rp53,000 per kg. Whole chicken prices have also stabilised, with a 1.5 kg bird now fetching Rp48,000, compared to as low as Rp25,000 during the lull. ‘Since the children went back to school, the prices have gradually recovered,’ she said.

Traders observed that while consumers welcomed the lower prices, the slump was devastating for farmers. The MBG programme, which provides free meals to schoolchildren, is seen as a key pillar of demand that helps stabilise poultry prices in traditional markets.