Soaring Feed Costs and Plummeting Egg Prices Squeeze Central Java Poultry Farmers

Poultry farmers affiliated with the Prosperous Poultry Farmers Cooperative (KPUS) in Central Java have staged peaceful demonstrations across eight regencies, protesting the soaring cost of animal feed and the collapse in farm-gate egg prices. The protests took place on Monday in Kendal, Temanggung, Magelang, Pekalongan, Wonosobo, Pati, Grobogan, and Boyolali. KPUS Chairman Suwardi stated that feed prices have climbed 25 per cent from April to August, while egg prices have continued to fall, reaching a low of Rp15,000 per kilogram at the farm level. He noted that the imbalance between rising production costs and falling revenue has left farmers struggling to survive, with many operating at a loss. Suwardi also highlighted that the government’s free nutritious meal programme (MBG) has not provided the expected market support, as purchasing prices by nutrition fulfilment service units remain well below the promised Rp25,000 per kilogram. He warned that without immediate government intervention to stabilise feed prices and expand subsidised maize quotas, poultry farmers may be forced out of business. The cooperative, which represents 1,767 farmers, has called on the central government to enforce fair pricing mechanisms and threatened to escalate their protest to the Presidential Palace if their demands are not met.