POULTRYINDONESIA, Jakarta — A total of 580,000 GPS chickens will be brought in from the United States (U.S.) through the Agreement on Reciprocal Trade (ART) scheme. However, this import plan is guaranteed not to erode the interests of local farmers, as the imported poultry are not for consumption, but rather breeding stock that serves as the “ancestors” of the national poultry industry.

Antoni J. Supit, a prominent poultry figure and President Commissioner as well as Independent Commissioner of PT Sreeya Sewu Indonesia Tbk, clarified the growing public perception regarding these imports.

“I need to clarify this. These are not the chickens we eat every day. In this industry, there is something called Grand Parent Stock or GPS—essentially the ‘grandparents’ of the chickens,” Antoni stated on Wednesday (25/2/2026).

Antoni further explained that GPS represents the highest tier in the chicken breeding chain. From GPS, Parent Stock (PS) is produced, which then produces Day Old Chicks (DOC) that are subsequently raised as either broilers (meat) or layers (eggs). This lengthy process takes approximately one and a half to two years from the time the initial import occurs.

The importation of GPS from the U.S. has actually taken place routinely every year, with volumes fluctuating based on industry needs. Antoni emphasized that including these imports within the ART framework does not change the conditions that have already been in place for years.

“We have indeed been importing from America all this time. The number could be 580,000 birds, or it could be one million, depending on requirements. So, with its inclusion in the ART, the situation remains unchanged,” he said.

The dependence on imported breeding stock is inseparable from the current state of the global breeding industry, which has become increasingly concentrated. Of the dozens of breeding companies that once existed, only two major players remain operational: Aviagen and Cobb. Both dominate the world market because producing GPS requires in-depth research and highly advanced technology.

The high standards of technology and biosecurity required make developing independent GPS a significant challenge for Indonesia. Moreover, the price for each GPS bird is not cheap, ranging between US$20 to US$30, meaning only large-capacity companies are capable of managing them.

Rather than causing harm, the existence of GPS imports is actually considered beneficial for local farmers. By guaranteeing the supply of GPS, the production chain for DOCs used in domestic commercial farming can run smoothly.

“There is no negative impact on local farmers. In fact, it’s quite the opposite; farmers are guaranteed a supply of DOCs for their farming and commercial activities,” Antoni asserted.

As previously stated by the government, the import of chickens within the ART framework is aimed at strengthening the foundation of the domestic livestock industry. The total import value is estimated to be in the range of US$17 million to US$20 million for the 580,000 breeding birds.

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