Egg Prices Continue to Plummet, Hundreds of Chickens Distributed for Free in Batang

Frustrated and concerned by the continued decline in egg prices over recent months, poultry farmers in Batang Regency distributed hundreds of laying hens to residents for free. The farmers have threatened to release tens of thousands more birds if the government does not implement policy changes.

Since Monday morning (10/8), hundreds of Batang residents gathered on Jalan Veteran to receive the free chickens. When a white pick-up truck carrying baskets of chickens arrived and stopped, the crowd immediately surged forward, surrounding the vehicle and eagerly accepting the birds handed out one by one by the farmers. Dozens of police officers were deployed to maintain tight security at the location, though no disturbances occurred.

“I am happy to get a free chicken; I will take it home to prepare for my family,” said Evi, a 32-year-old Batang resident. Another resident, 50-year-old Wahyudi, noted that residents had known about the distribution for several days and had been waiting since morning.

Joko Pramono, Chairman of the Sejahtera Poultry Farmers Cooperative (KPUS) in Batang, stated that the free chicken giveaway was an expression of the farmers’ frustration and concern over the increasingly dire state of their businesses due to low egg prices. He explained that the current farm-gate price has resulted in a subsidy burden of up to Rp7,000 per kilogram, a situation that has persisted for four months, forcing farmers to indirectly bear the cost of keeping protein affordable for the public.

“We are subsidising so that Indonesians can get cheap protein. For four months, we have been subsidising to the tune of Rp5,000 to Rp7,000 per kilogram,” Joko said. According to KPUS Batang records, its members own a population of approximately 600,000 chickens, meaning the cumulative losses are substantial. He urged the Ministry of Agriculture to take concrete steps to save smallholder farmers.

Joko also called on the government to enforce Agriculture Ministerial Regulation No. 32/2017 concerning large-scale poultry cultivation, noting that large operations now account for nearly 20 percent of the industry, while smallholder farmers, who make up 98 percent, need protection. He stated that 600 chickens were distributed in this initial action, but warned that if the issue is not addressed, farmers will release between 50,000 and 100,000 more birds. “This action is just to test the waters,” he added.

The protest by hundreds of poultry farmers took place simultaneously in other areas of Central Java, including Pati, Grobogan, and Kendal, where farmers also released tens of thousands of chickens. “We released 15,000 chickens and residents scrambled to catch them,” said a protester in Kendal.