Trade Minister: Free Nutritious Meals Programme Has Not Driven Up Chicken Prices
Jakarta (ANTARA) — Trade Minister Budi Santoso has affirmed that the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) programme has not triggered a rise in broiler chicken prices at market.
Speaking at the Ministry of Trade offices in Jakarta on Wednesday, Budi said the programme had made production more measurable owing to guaranteed demand, which in turn had kept prices relatively stable.
He explained that previous chicken price fluctuations were largely driven by unpredictable market demand. When demand was erratic, production would adjust accordingly, making prices volatile.
“Previously, prices went up and down because demand went up and down. 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.
He urged the public to look at pricing conditions holistically, stressing that there had 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 in good shape,” he said.
The Trade Minister said he had held discussions with business operators, including micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), as well as chicken producers. Those consultations revealed that the certainty of demand generated by the MBG programme was in fact helping them increase production consistently.
Furthermore, he said the government was ensuring that price and supply monitoring would continue in order to maintain stability, particularly ahead of the major religious holidays of Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr.
“This is actually beneficial, because our production keeps increasing and it is assured because demand has become certain. Previously, demand fluctuated depending on the market,” he added.
According to data from the Market and Essential Commodities Monitoring System (SP2KP) as of 13 February 2026, broiler chicken was recorded at Rp40,259 per kilogram. Free-range chicken eggs stood at Rp30,570 per kilogram, medium-sized eggs at Rp13,640 per kilogram, MinyaKita cooking oil at Rp16,020 per litre, and bird’s eye chilli at Rp73,609 per kilogram.