Egg Prices Plunge, Feed Costs Soar: South Sulawesi Farmers Threaten to Shut Down
Dozens of farmers from 24 regencies and cities in South Sulawesi descended on the Governor’s Office and the South Sulawesi Regional People’s Representative Council (DPRD) on Monday (10/8). Under the scorching sun, they distributed eggs and chickens to motorists not as a social gesture, but as a symbol of desperation.
Behind this peaceful protest, cries of “Lower feed prices!” echoed throughout the area. The reason: egg prices at the farm level have plummeted far below production costs, while feed prices have soared by up to 35 per cent. If no concrete policy is implemented within 14 days, the farmers have threatened to stage an even larger demonstration.
Pickup trucks stopped in the middle of the road, one carrying laying hens, another full of eggs, and the rest serving as a stage for speeches.
Hundreds of farmers affiliated with Peternak Rakyat Sulawesi blocked the exit of the South Sulawesi Governor’s Office, demanding government attention to a crisis that threatens the survival of their businesses.
One farmer, Riski, expressed his despair. “We are protesting because egg prices have collapsed. Now they don’t match feed prices, which are usually Rp45,000 per crate. Now it’s cheap at Rp38,000,” he said.
Field data shows that the farmers’ suffering is not unfounded. The price of purebred chicken eggs at the farm level in various regions is recorded at only around Rp17,000 to Rp23,000 per kilogram.
This figure is far below the government’s Purchase Reference Price (HAP), which was originally Rp26,500 per kg and was later revised to Rp24,000 per kg effective 15 July 2026.
Unfortunately, just as egg prices have fallen, production costs have soared. The price of concentrate feed has risen from around Rp390,000 to Rp437,500–Rp455,500 per sack over the past two months. The price of maize, a key feed component, has also skyrocketed to Rp6,600 per kg.
Through this peaceful protest, Peternak Rakyat Sulawesi delivered seven firm demands to the government.
The collapse in egg prices is not merely a business problem. It is a threat to national food security and the welfare of the farming community.
In fact, some farmers have been forced to cull laying hens prematurely to reduce losses. However, even this measure has proven ineffective because the price of culled hens has also plunged to Rp11,000–Rp12,000 per kg, or around Rp20,000 per bird, far below the normal price.
In their statement of position, Peternak Rakyat Sulawesi gave the government a 14-day deadline from the date of the protest to take concrete action. “If there is no concrete policy, we will stage a larger and constitutional protest,” the statement read.
The chairman of Peternak Rakyat Sulawesi, Bazuki Suyuti, expressed hope that the Speaker of the Provincial DPRD would be willing to receive farmer representatives for direct dialogue.
“We hope the South Sulawesi Provincial Government can directly listen to the aspirations of Peternak Rakyat Sulawesi and work together to find constructive solutions to maintain the sustainability of laying hen farming businesses and the stability of food supply in South Sulawesi,” he said.
The rise in raw material prices has pushed the average feed cost up to Rp8,000 per kilogram, while egg prices have collapsed.