Indonesian Poultry Farmers Stage Mass Protests Over Plummeting Egg Prices
Thousands of poultry farmers in Central Java, Jogjakarta, and South Sulawesi staged simultaneous protests on Monday to demand government action to address the crisis in the industry. The protesters cited plummeting egg prices and rising feed costs as major concerns, with some farmers warning that they are on the brink of bankruptcy.
According to Suwardi, chairman of the Kendal-based Unggas Sejahtera Cooperative (KPUS), egg prices have fallen to between Rp 19,000 and Rp 20,000 per kilogram in the region, well below the ideal price of Rp 26,500. Meanwhile, corn and soybean meal prices have risen by 25 percent due to a weakening rupiah and declining domestic corn production.
The increase in feed costs has had a significant impact on farmers' profits, with Suwardi stating that 'feed accounts for around 70 percent of production costs for laying hens, so the rise in corn prices has made the situation very difficult for us.'