Hundreds of poultry farmers under the banner of the Blitar Raya People’s Farmers Association staged a protest in Blitar, East Java, calling for urgent government intervention to address the dual crisis of plummeting egg prices and soaring feed costs.
Suyanto, the coordinator of the Blitar Raya People’s Farmers, explained that the drop in egg prices has persisted for three months, placing farmers in an increasingly dire financial situation. “Egg prices have collapsed. Currently, the price at the farm gate is Rp 20,600 per kilogram, while our production cost is Rp 23,000 per kilogram. This falls significantly short of the government’s reference purchase price (HAP), which is set between Rp 24,500 and Rp 26,500 per kilogram,” he stated on Monday, June 1, 2026, as reported by Antara.
The financial strain is exacerbated by the rising price of chicken feed, which has climbed by as much as Rp 30,000 per sack. Suyanto noted, “For instance, a 50-kilogram sack of feed that previously cost Rp 370,000 has now risen to Rp 400,000, while others have jumped from Rp 400,000 to Rp 430,000.”
Adding to these burdens is the persistently high cost of corn. Farmers are currently paying between Rp 6,400 and Rp 6,500 per kilogram, far exceeding the government’s stabilization price (SPHP) of Rp 5,500 per kilogram. Many small-scale farmers have been forced to sell personal valuables just to afford feed for their livestock, with no clear indication of when market conditions might stabilize.
Seeking a resolution, poultry farmers from Blitar, Kediri, Tulungagung, and Malang gathered to demand government action to normalize both egg and feed prices. Beyond these immediate economic pressures, the farmers also expressed deep concern that the entry of foreign investors into the Indonesian poultry industry could displace local producers.
Blitar Regent Rijanto, who met with the protesters, acknowledged the severity of the situation and the looming threat of bankruptcy facing many egg producers. “At the current farm-gate price of Rp 21,000, these farmers are at risk of going out of business, especially as the costs of basic feed ingredients continue to escalate,” he said.
Rijanto pledged to escalate these grievances to the central government, emphasizing the need to protect small-scale farmers in a region that produces approximately 450 tons of eggs daily. During the protest, participants displayed placards outlining their demands and distributed free eggs to the public as a gesture of solidarity.
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Summary
Poultry farmers from the Blitar Raya People’s Farmers Association are protesting against a severe economic crisis characterized by plummeting egg prices and surging production costs. Farmers are currently selling eggs at Rp 20,600 per kilogram, which is significantly below the government-mandated reference price of Rp 24,500 to Rp 26,500, while the cost of essential feed ingredients like corn continues to rise sharply. This financial disparity has pushed many small-scale producers to the brink of bankruptcy, forcing them to sell personal assets to sustain their operations.
In response to these challenges, farmers from several East Java regions have gathered to demand urgent government intervention to stabilize market prices and regulate the industry. Local officials have acknowledged the crisis and pledged to escalate these concerns to the central government to protect local production. Furthermore, the farmers expressed apprehension regarding the potential negative impact of foreign investors on the future of the domestic poultry industry.