Ministry of Agriculture and National Food Agency Strengthen Egg Absorption from Farmers in Magetan

Our main focus is to maintain the sustainability of smallholder farmers’ businesses while ensuring that the public’s food needs remain fulfilled. Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Ministry of Agriculture (Kementan), together with the National Food Agency (Bapanas) and the Magetan Regency Government, is strengthening measures to absorb laying hen eggs to safeguard the continuity of smallholder farmers’ businesses amid abundant egg production. “Our main focus is to maintain the sustainability of smallholder farmers’ businesses while ensuring that the public’s food needs remain fulfilled,” said Director of Livestock Product Downstreaming at the Directorate General of Livestock and Animal Health of Kementan, Makmun, in a statement in Jakarta on Saturday. These steps were discussed in a coordination meeting held in hybrid format by the Magetan Regency Livestock and Fisheries Service, involving Kementan, Bapanas, poultry associations, farmers, and business actors. The government assesses that the surplus egg production condition must be managed quickly and measurably to avoid pressuring prices at the farmer level. Therefore, accelerating absorption, distribution, and strengthening consumption are continuously promoted to maintain the stability of the national poultry subsector. “There must be command at the local level so that egg selling prices are within the HAP range, allowing farmers to gain profits and remain enthusiastic about increasing their production,” said Makmun. He stated that Kementan continues to strengthen coordination with local governments, poultry associations, related ministries and agencies, and business actors to maintain the stability of supply and prices of feed raw materials. In addition, the government is also strengthening downstreaming and market expansion for livestock products so that smallholder farmers’ production can be optimally absorbed. “The government continues to strengthen downstreaming, distribution, and market expansion so that farmers’ production results can be absorbed more optimally,” he said. The government is optimistic that strengthening egg absorption, inter-regional distribution, production cost control, and increasing animal protein consumption can maintain the stability of the national poultry subsector while strengthening community food resilience. Meanwhile, the Head of the Magetan Regency Livestock and Fisheries Service, Nur Haryani, said that the local government has prepared several quick steps to help absorb farmers’ egg production. “The local government will facilitate egg absorption through the civil servant egg purchasing movement and campaigns to consume eggs among the public. This is an initial step that can be immediately implemented to help farmers,” she said. According to Nur Haryani, egg absorption through the MBG Programme will be increased from once to three times a week so that smallholder farmers’ egg production can be absorbed more. “Egg absorption through the MBG Programme will be increased by us from once to three times a week. It is hoped that farmers’ production can be absorbed more,” she said. The local government is also strengthening egg consumption programmes through posyandu activities, supplementary feeding (PMT), stunting prevention, and other social programmes so that the benefits can be felt by the community while helping to maintain prices at the farmer level. To help suppress farmers’ production costs, subsidised corn aid through the supply and price stabilisation programme for food (SPHP) began to be distributed on Saturday (9/5). This step is expected to help alleviate feed costs and maintain the sustainability of smallholder farmers’ businesses.