National Food Agency Ensures Government Maintains Price Balance for Eggs from Producer to Consumer
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The National Food Agency (Bapanas) has ensured that the government continues to maintain the price balance of broiler chicken eggs between producers and consumers (upstream-downstream) to protect farmers while ensuring the commodity remains affordable for the public.
Bapanas Deputy for Food Availability and Stabilisation, I Gusti Ketut Astawa, stated that the government is continuously working to maintain the prices of strategic staple foods so that the interests of both producers and consumers can proceed in tandem. “One of the commodities currently receiving attention is broiler eggs, which recorded deflation again in May,” Ketut confirmed in Jakarta on Sunday.
He noted that according to data from the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS), the deflation of broiler eggs was recorded at 4.29 per cent in April and increased to 5.14 per cent in May. Behind this trend, there is pressure felt by farmers due to weakening selling prices at the producer level.
Bapanas views this condition as requiring an immediate response to ensure the sustainability of small-scale poultry farming. Various efforts are being encouraged, ranging from strengthening the absorption of production output through government programmes, such as the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG), to increasing public consumption.
“Currently, egg prices have dropped. Therefore, we must raise them again. Our task is to ensure that chicken egg prices at the producer level can rise, but we must also maintain prices at the downstream level. We must not allow them to exceed the reference prices we have set,” said Ketut.
According to him, the government aims to create fair and equitable prices for all actors in the supply chain. As a poultry-producing nation capable of meeting domestic consumption needs, Indonesia must ensure that farmers receive a decent price to remain motivated to produce.
“When conditions become dynamic, the government intervenes to control prices and supply. That is the principle; we hope that moving forward, prices will be fair,” Ketut expressed.
The government believes this situation requires structural steps involving all stakeholders, including central and regional governments, poultry associations, and cooperatives. “We must regulate and organise the middle layer. This means the government intervenes on both sides. Stabilise the downstream, stabilise the upstream. When egg prices are too low upstream, we adjust and rationalise the price. This country aims for self-sufficiency. Farmers and poultry farmers must be comfortable producing,” said Ketut.
On the other hand, the public is urged to remain calm and not worry about food supply availability. The government ensures that price and stock monitoring is being conducted intensively.
One of the concrete steps being prepared by the government to address egg price fluctuations is being implemented in East Java, a national egg production centre. The government is encouraging the optimisation of egg absorption by the Nutrition Fulfilment Service Units (SPPG) as part of the implementation of the MBG programme.
Previously, the Head of Bapanas and Minister of Agriculture, Andi Amran Sulaiman, revealed that his office has coordinated with the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) to increase egg consumption through the MBG programme. According to him, the MBG programme has the potential to become a major absorber of farmers’ and poultry farmers’ output, as it reaches approximately 60 million beneficiaries.