Food Coordinating Minister requests BGN to increase egg procurement through MBG programme
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs Zulkifli Hasan (Zulhas) has requested the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) to increase the use of eggs in the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) programme to help stabilise egg prices at the farmer level.
“Well, to ensure prices align with the highest retail price for eggs, we are asking BGN. If BGN uses eggs for just two days, that means 48 million (eggs) in one procurement,” Zulhas said during an inspection of food prices and supply at Palmerah Market in Jakarta on Wednesday.
According to him, increasing egg absorption through the MBG programme is necessary because the current egg supply is excessive, while prices at the farmer level are declining.
He explained that egg prices at Palmerah Market were observed at around Rp27,000 per kilogram (kg), lower than the highest retail price (HET) of around Rp30,000 per kg.
Meanwhile, the price of eggs received by farmers is said to have dropped to around Rp20,000 per kg from the normal condition of around Rp23,000 per kg.
“The supply is abundant, demand is low, so we are asking BGN to use eggs for two days (in a week),” he stated.
He said the government must maintain a balance so that egg prices remain affordable for the public but do not harm farmers.
“The HET is not too burdensome for consumers, but farmers won’t go out of business. If it’s too cheap, farmers will shut down,” he remarked.
During the market inspection, Zulhas then directly called BGN Head Dadan Hindayana to request an increase in egg usage in the MBG menu.
“Mr Dadan, egg prices are below HET here. There’s a request from layer farmers, BGN should use eggs for the next few days first, so the layer farmers can smile,” he said during the phone call.
According to him, demand from the MBG programme has a significant impact on balancing the national supply and demand of eggs.
“If two (days using eggs) this week, next week it will already be stable,” Zulhas stated.
Based on data from the Market and Basic Needs Monitoring System (SP2KP) of the Ministry of Trade on 12 May 2026, the national average price of laying hen eggs was recorded at Rp28,354 per kg, down 0.18 percent from the previous day.
The government previously stated that the MBG programme is one of the instruments to strengthen domestic food consumption while supporting the absorption of domestic livestock and agricultural products.