Poultry Chick Imports Surge by 800,000
The government has allocated a quota for importing 800,000 grandparent stock (GPS) chicks this year. This figure represents an increase from the import quota of 578,000 chicks in the previous year. The number of companies receiving the quota has also increased from 24 to 27.
The import quota for GPS is crucial in the poultry industry. Each GPS chick can produce 50–60 parent stock, each of which can hatch 150–160 chicks ready for fattening and harvesting. Indonesia has been importing GPS from the United States and several European countries.
According to data obtained by Tempo, the largest increase in the quota was experienced by PT Berdikari (Persero), which saw its quota increase from 18,000 chicks last year to 95,000 chicks this year. This increase is in line with the government’s plan to build integrated poultry farms—including GPS breeding facilities—to meet the needs of the free nutritious food program.
The full story about the integrated poultry farm can be found in the Tempo Magazine issue of February 16–22, 2026.
PT Charoen Pokphand Indonesia Tbk. and PT Japfa Comfeed Indonesia Tbk., which have traditionally held a significant share of the GPS import quota, experienced a different fate. Charoen Pokphand’s import quota decreased from 221,000 chicks last year to 220,000 chicks this year. Japfa’s quota only increased slightly, from 163,000 chicks last year to 165,000 chicks this year.
Director of Breeding and Livestock Production at the Ministry of Agriculture, Hary Suhada, did not respond to Tempo’s request for confirmation. His staff then contacted Tempo and explained that the increase in the import quota was to anticipate a surge in demand due to the free nutritious food program, especially when the demand structure has stabilized in the next two years. Although the quota has been set, the government still provides room for companies to measure realization based on capacity and needs.
The Chairman of the Indonesian Poultry Breeding Companies Association (GPPU), Achmad Dawami, said that the GPS import plan requires precise medium-term planning. This is because the production impact of the GPS imported in 2026 will only be fully realized about 18 months later in 2028. “In other words, today’s import decision will determine the supply structure for the next two years,” Dawami told Tempo on Friday, February 20, 2026.
Based on data from the Coordinating Ministry for Food, Dawami said that the estimated demand for chicken meat for the free nutritious food program in 2028 is around 366,270 tons, an increase from 232,850 tons in 2026. The Ministry of Agriculture projects that the additional demand for chicken could reach 1.13 million tons per year. According to Dawami, the government needs to harmonize data and calculation methodologies so that the expansion of production capacity is balanced with the growth of actual demand.
The poultry industry, Dawami said, has a biological cycle and a price cycle that are very sensitive to changes in supply. Therefore, if the supply expansion grows faster than the realization of demand, he is concerned that prices at the farm level will be depressed and disrupt the sustainability of small businesses. Conversely, if planning is measurable and data-driven, increased production can strengthen national supply stability without creating excessive volatility.
In addition, Dawami said that the addition of GPS requires support for the capacity of PS and commercial broiler farms, the readiness of hatcheries, sufficient feed supply, an efficient distribution system, and strict biosecurity standards. He believes that a gradual and adaptive approach will provide more room for adjustment for the industry. “Capacity expansion does not need to be abrupt, but should follow the curve of increasing demand for the free nutritious food program up to 2029.”