POULTRYINDONESIA, Blitar – Dozens of smallholder layer farmers in Blitar Regency, East Java, staged a creative protest by selling eggs directly to the public in front of the Blitar Regent’s Office on Monday (June 29, 2026). Through the campaign, the farmers sought to highlight the wide price disparity between producers and consumers while urging the government to take immediate action to improve Indonesia’s egg marketing system.
During the protest, eggs were sold for Rp20,000 per kilogram. Although this price was lower than the prevailing retail price of Rp24,000–Rp25,000 per kilogram, it remained significantly higher than the current farmgate price of only Rp15,000–Rp16,000 per kilogram.
The initiative received a positive response from local residents, who welcomed the opportunity to purchase eggs at a more affordable price. At the same time, the farmers hoped the demonstration would draw the government’s attention to what they described as an unfair distribution system that has long disadvantaged producers.
Smallholder farmer representative Suyanto said the current price gap between farmers and consumers is unreasonable. According to him, the profits generated along the distribution chain are disproportionate to the situation faced by farmers, who are forced to sell eggs below their production costs.
“The price gap between farmgate and retail markets remains far too wide. That’s why we decided to offer eggs directly to the public at what we believe is a fair price—Rp20,000 per kilogram,” he said.
According to data from the farmers, current farmgate egg prices stand at only Rp15,000–Rp16,000 per kilogram. Meanwhile, eggs sold during the protest were priced at Rp20,000 per kilogram, while traditional market retail prices remain at around Rp24,000–Rp25,000 per kilogram.
By selling directly to consumers, the farmers aimed to shorten the distribution chain and demonstrate that eggs can be sold at lower prices without sacrificing farmers’ livelihoods.
Suyanto explained that the collapse in farmgate egg prices has been driven by an oversupply of laying hens, resulting in egg production exceeding market demand.
He noted that Blitar Regency currently has an estimated 39 million laying hens, producing approximately 1,500 metric tons of eggs per day. This abundant supply has not been matched by growth in consumption, causing prices to remain under pressure.
According to Suyanto, one solution that should be considered is controlling the laying hen population to restore a balance between production and market demand.
“We hope there will be restrictions on layer farming expansion. Our production capacity has already exceeded market needs,” he said.
He also argued that the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program, which was initially expected to increase national egg consumption, has so far had only a limited impact on egg production in Blitar.
“The MBG program currently absorbs only about three percent of Blitar’s egg production,” Suyanto said.
