Minister pushes for eggs and chicken three times a week in free meals programme

Minister of Agriculture and Head of the National Food Agency, Andi Amran Sulaiman, is pushing for an increase in the consumption of eggs and chicken meat under the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) programme to three times every week. Speaking after a working meeting with Commission IV of the House of Representatives in Jakarta on Wednesday, Amran said the move is an effort to strengthen the absorption of national livestock products while helping to maintain price stability for eggs and live chickens at the farmer level. “We have recently written to the Head of the National Nutrition Agency, requesting that egg consumption be increased from once to three times per week,” Amran said. He stated that the Ministry of Agriculture had submitted a formal proposal to the National Nutrition Agency to raise the frequency of egg consumption in the Free Nutritious Meals programme. According to him, the proposal received a positive response from the agency’s head, who is swiftly following up on the government’s recommendation to boost the absorption of domestic livestock commodities. Amran noted that increased egg and chicken consumption through the programme is beginning to have an impact on price improvements at the farm level. He explained that egg and chicken meat prices, which were previously under pressure, are now starting to show an upward trend in line with growing demand from the government initiative. Amran also addressed complaints from broiler chicken farmers who had recently suffered losses due to a collapse in the selling price of live chickens on the market. According to him, the drop in broiler prices occurred because supply increased at the same time demand fell due to the school holiday period. Amran explained that the school break affected the absorption rate of the Free Nutritious Meals programme, temporarily slowing the requirement for chicken meat. He said chicken and egg consumption under the programme is expected to be carried out at least three times a week to maintain a supply-demand balance. He praised the swift response from the Head of the National Nutrition Agency in following up on the proposal, which has led to previously depressed egg and chicken prices gradually improving. “She followed up immediately. We thank the Head of BGN for her very quick response. Once again, we appreciate and thank the Head of BGN; her response was very fast, so prices have started to creep up,” Amran said.