Free Nutritious Meal Program Kitchens in East Java Agree to Purchase Chicken Eggs from Local Farmers
The National Food Agency has stated that the Nutrition Fulfilment Service Units, or kitchens for the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) programme in East Java, have agreed to purchase chicken eggs from local farmers to address the recent slump in commodity prices. This agreement is the result of a coordination meeting focused on stabilising the supply and price of chicken eggs between the National Nutrition Agency and poultry farmer cooperatives or associations in East Java.
The meeting established an obligation for the Service Units to include eggs in the MBG menu at least three times a week. “From the producer side, farmers will have a guaranteed offtaker, namely the Service Units,” said Maino Dwi Hartono, Director of Food Supply and Price Stabilisation at the National Food Agency, in a written statement on Saturday, 6 June 2026.
Maino noted that egg transactions will be conducted directly with local poultry farmer associations or cooperatives in East Java at a minimum price of Rp 24,000 per kilogram. Prices will be increased gradually in accordance with the Reference Purchase Price (HAP) at the producer level. In return, the farmer associations and cooperatives in East Java have agreed to supply and deliver eggs directly to the Service Units, adhering to agreed quality standards.
According to Maino, current egg prices require rapid intervention because egg production occurs daily and cannot be halted. Therefore, he encouraged the Service Units to immediately begin absorbing supply from production centres in various regencies and cities alongside farmer cooperatives and associations. “Chickens lay eggs every day; production cannot be stopped. This means the supply must be absorbed immediately,” Main/o stated.
Tengku Syahdana, Director of Community Empowerment and Participation at the National Nutrition Agency, added that the Head of the National Nutrition Agency has directed the Service Units to act as offtakers within the food supply chain, including for chicken eggs. In this capacity, Syahdana noted that the MBG programme can provide a price stimulus at the producer level during periods of market volatility. “The National Nutrition Agency acts not only as a regulator but also as a direct operator on the ground,” he said.
Based on preliminary simulations, Syahdana estimates that using eggs in the menu three times a week across the Service Units in East Java could provide a stabilisation stimulus of approximately 8 to 10 per cent. The East Java Provincial Government and the National Nutrition Agency will map out the distribution of active Service Units alongside the cooperatives or associations acting as suppliers. Location and distance between the units and the cooperatives will be primary considerations to ensure efficient distribution and maintain egg quality. Priority will be given to nearby cooperatives and associations, particularly those representing micro and small-scale farmers, while medium to large-scale farmers are encouraged to expand their supply beyond East Java to ensure equitable distribution.