POULTRYINDONESIA, Ciamis — The condition of Indonesia’s poultry industry in mid-2025 shows a positive trend. Live bird (LB) prices, which had previously hit their lowest point, have gradually recovered, driven by government intervention and the commitment of industry players to maintain prices toward the Government Reference Price (HAP).

This was conveyed by Herry Dermawan, Chairman of the National Independent Poultry Farmers Organization (GOPAN), during the Poultry Forum titled “National Independent Farmers Consolidation 2026” held at the KH. Ahmad Dahlan Auditorium, Ciamis, Monday (April 28).

Herry explained that since June 2025, LB prices have stabilized at around IDR 18,000/kg and continued moving toward the HAP of IDR 25,000/kg by the end of the year. This improvement has been supported by government policies, including poultry meat absorption for food reserves and support from the Nutritious Meal Program (MBG).

However, he highlighted that the margins of independent farmers remain relatively thin. This is due to high production costs, particularly the price of DOC (day-old chicks), which ranges from IDR 7,500–8,500 per chick, as well as rising feed prices caused by unstable corn production and global geopolitical factors.

“The margins of independent farmers remain thin due to the high pressure of input costs,” he stated.

Entering 2026, Herry hopes that the national poultry sector can continue to be maintained toward a new equilibrium. Nevertheless, he reminded stakeholders of several challenges that need to be anticipated, such as potential production surplus, public purchasing power, and the stability of industrial raw material supply.

He also emphasized the importance of regeneration in the poultry sector. According to him, younger generations need to be encouraged to actively participate as successors, bringing more innovative and technology-adaptive approaches.

“Young farmers play an important role in introducing more effective and innovative systems in the poultry industry,” he added.

As an organization representing independent smallholder farmers, GOPAN views consolidation as necessary to discuss strategic issues, ranging from regulatory implementation and access to government programs to preparing visionary young farmer cadres.

In line with this, GOPAN Secretary General Sugeng Wahyudi stated that the forum is part of the organization’s quarterly work program. The activity aims to serve as a platform for networking, strengthening shared vision, and formulating the direction of national poultry policy.

Additionally, the forum is expected to produce strategic steps to strengthen smallholder poultry businesses and encourage active involvement of younger generations in farming and community leadership.

Sugeng also highlighted the importance of implementing regulations, particularly Minister of Agriculture Regulation No. 10 of 2024, which governs the provision, distribution, and supervision of broiler chickens and table eggs. He hopes that a larger portion of broiler farming will be allocated to smallholder farmers.

“This will lead to more equitable economic distribution, and younger generations will be more motivated to enter the poultry sector due to business protection,” he explained.

He also added that the government, through state-owned enterprises (SOEs), needs to intervene when necessary, particularly to protect small farmers, similar to what has been done in the rice farming sector.

Meanwhile, in his remarks, Deputy Minister of Agriculture Sudaryono emphasized that the government has continued to strengthen the food sector through various strategic policies over the past one and a half years.

According to him, dozens of regulations have been issued to improve various aspects, ranging from fertilizers, irrigation, and distribution to price stabilization. He assessed that the current condition of the agricultural and food sectors is relatively good.

“So far, the condition of the agricultural and food sectors is quite good,” he stated.

Sudaryono also responded to public questions regarding rice prices that have not declined despite abundant stocks. He emphasized that food prices must be kept balanced—not too high and not too low.

He gave the example of chicken commodities. If prices are too low, for instance IDR 12,000 per kilogram, it could harm farmers and threaten the sustainability of their businesses.

Therefore, the government implements pricing policies through mechanisms such as HPP (Government Purchase Price) and HET (Highest Retail Price) to protect producers while maintaining affordability for consumers.

“Prices should not be too high as it burdens consumers, but also not too low as it harms producers,” he stressed. This policy applies to various key commodities such as rice, corn, chicken, and eggs.

Furthermore, Sudaryono emphasized that the state must be present to protect its people and should not be overpowered by market mechanisms or the dominance of large players. However, he ensured that the government remains open to private sector participation, as long as it does not erode the livelihood space of small businesses.

“Agriculture is a labor-intensive sector that serves as a livelihood for the people. It must not be dominated by large corporations,” he concluded.

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