May 6, 2026

 

Farmers in Indonesia declare national self-sufficiency in egg production

 

 

Around 200 layer chicken farmers from various regions in Indonesia, united under the Rumah Bersama organization, declared the national self-sufficiency in egg production, which they claimed to have been achieved since 2024.

 

They mentioned that egg production continues to increase, and even small-scale farmers independently open up new land and increase the population.

 

However, behind this success, they observed the absence of the government's role in maintaining market balance. "We have achieved self-sufficiency in egg production, but the government also needs to maintain a balance between supply and price," said Yudianto Yosgiarso, the Presidium of the Indonesian People's Poultry Association (PINSAR) for Layers, after the National Discussion of Indonesian Small-Scale Layer Chicken Farmers held in Solo City, Central Java on May 2.

 

The farmers criticised policies that solely focus on increasing production, which in turn triggers inequality. Without regulations to stabilise prices and absorption, production surges become a threat to the sustainability of their business. They are concerned that this situation will continue to repeat itself if the government does not promptly improve the governance. "If the regulations do not consider supply and price stabilisation, inequality will definitely occur in the field."

 

Hopes were initially placed on the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) programme as the main absorber of egg production. However, the realisation in the field fell far short of expectations as the absorption was reported to be very low, even around 1%. Farmers also highlighted technical reasons such as children getting bored with egg consumption, which was deemed as inconsistent with the program's goals. "If the reason for reducing absorption is that children are bored of eating eggs, then that is very inappropriate," they said.

 

At the production level, the pressure increased when egg prices at the farm dropped to Rp21,000 (US$1.30) per kilogram from the previous Rp26,500 (US$1.65). According to Yudianto, this decline occurred amid rising costs of feed and corn, which reached Rp6,700–Rp7,100 (US$0.42–US$0.44) per kilogramme. This combination eroded farmers' margins and put their businesses at a vulnerable point. "Egg prices dropped, while feed and corn prices kept rising. This greatly burdens the farmers," he said.

 

Yudianto considers self-sufficiency not only a production achievement but also a matter of food sovereignty that must be safeguarded. In their view, protection should be given to small-scale farmers, not solely to large investors. They urge the government to intervene through concrete policies to maintain the sustainability of this sector. "Maintaining food security requires thinking about who is being protected, and that is the small-scale farmers," he stated.

 

The National PINSAR Layers Manager, Suwardi, added that complaints about school children getting bored of eating eggs were seen as unreasonable and irresponsible. "There are complaints that elementary school kids get bored if given eggs 3–4 days in a row. This should not be allowed to happen," he said.

 

Despite farmers' high hopes for the MBG program to absorb eggs, the reality has been the opposite.

 

Furthermore, Suwardi revealed that egg absorption for the MBG programme currently only reaches around 1%. Moreover, the population's purchasing power has also decreased. "The euphoria of the MBG, which was said to support food security, has led to our eggs being sufficient, but buying power is low, and MBG absorption is also not optimal, causing egg prices to plummet," he said.

 

He admitted that when requested by the government to maintain stock and food security in meeting children's protein needs, the initial requirement was also to supply remote areas.

 

"The government hopes to maintain food security, egg stock, and increase the potential for children's protein needs, and the easiest thing is eggs. The price is also the cheapest, isn't it? There are some remote areas where distribution is indeed difficult, and we understand that," he said.

 

Aside from the MBG, farmers are pushing for diversification of absorption programs, such as nutritional interventions for pregnant women and addressing high stunting rates. They believe these programs can provide a dual solution: improving public health while absorbing egg production. Without these measures, surplus production will continue to depress prices. "If absorption is not enhanced through various programs, this overproduction will continue to depress prices."

 

Nationally, he said egg production has reached 18,000 tonnes or around 280 million eggs per day. While the ideal requirement for the MBG is estimated at 83.5 million eggs, current realisation is only around 70 million. This gap indicates weaknesses in programme planning and implementation. "Our production is already sufficient, but MBG absorption is not optimal, leading to overproduction," he revealed.

 

On the other hand, weakening purchasing power worsens market conditions. Reduced money circulation weakens household consumption, preventing the market from absorbing abundant production. This situation creates layered pressure for farmers. "Low purchasing power makes self-sufficient production remain unabsorbed by the market," Suwardi said.

 

In response, Suwardi stated that farmers are requesting the government take tactical steps, including increasing the frequency of egg consumption in the MBG programme to two or three times per week. They also emphasise maintaining the reference price in the range of Rp25,000–26,500 (US$1.55–1.65) to ensure business sustainability. Without intervention, many farmers may be affected. "We ask that the MBG use eggs at least twice a week so that prices can return to the reference level," he said.

 

Furthermore, farmers highlighted the need to organize the poultry ecosystem from production planning to distribution, and to limit the role of large integrators as a counterbalance. Small-scale farmers remain the backbone, holding a dominant share. "The ecosystem must be organised, with 98% remaining for small-scale farmers and 2% for integrators as a counterbalance," Suwardi said.

 

The issue of egg imports also became a focus. Farmers affirmed that national production is sufficient to meet demand, and the main issue lies in distribution, especially in remote areas. With good coordination between regions, supply disparities can be addressed without imports. "We have been able to meet national needs, so there is no need to import eggs," Suwardi said.

 

Farmers believe distribution issues are largely caused by weak coordination and political will at the regional level. According to Suwardi, surplus regions can easily supply deficit regions if distribution channels are facilitated. For this reason, farmers hope central and regional governments will promptly connect the supply chain. "It only requires political will to link surplus and deficit areas to prevent inflation and supply shortages."

 

— Tempo