Trade Minister Budi Insists Free Nutritious Meals Programme Stabilises Chicken Prices, Not Raises Them
Jakarta, VIVA – Trade Minister Budi Santoso has claimed that the rise in broiler chicken prices at markets was not triggered by the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) programme.
Budi stated that the programme has in fact made production more measurable owing to guaranteed demand, resulting in more stable prices. Previously, chicken price fluctuations were largely driven by volatile market demand. When demand was uncertain, production adjusted accordingly, making prices prone to instability.
“In the past, prices went up and down because demand went up and down. Demand fluctuated, so prices fluctuated. Now that demand is on an upward trajectory, there is certainty. Production follows suit in a linear fashion, tracking demand, so prices actually tend to be stable,” Budi said at the Ministry of Trade offices in Jakarta on Wednesday, 18 February 2026.
He urged the public to view price conditions holistically, maintaining that there has been no sudden spike in chicken prices as a result of the MBG programme. “Has there been a sudden price surge because of MBG? There hasn’t — all prices are fine,” he said.
The Trade Minister said he had held discussions with business operators, including micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and chicken producers. From those meetings, business operators conveyed that the guaranteed demand from the MBG programme had actually helped them increase production consistently.
Furthermore, he said the government would ensure that price and supply monitoring continues in order to maintain stability, particularly ahead of the national religious holidays of Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr.
“This is actually positive, because our production keeps increasing, and it’s certain because demand has become certain. Previously, demand went up and down depending on the market,” he added.
According to data from the Market and Basic Commodities Monitoring System (SP2KP) as of 13 February 2026, broiler chicken was recorded at Rp40,259 per kilogram, broiler eggs at Rp30,570 per kilogram, medium-grade rice at Rp13,640 per kilogram, Minyakita cooking oil at Rp16,020 per litre, and bird’s eye chilli at Rp73,609 per kilogram.