Government Trims Millions of Hatching Eggs to Stabilize Price

Chicken prices at farmers’ level were far below the reference purchase price of Rp 18,000-Rp 20,000 per kilogram (kg) since January 2020. The Association of People's Poultry (Pinsar) noted chicken price was only Rp 15,000 per kg at the farmer level. To stabilize prices, Agriculture Ministry’s Director of Animal Breeding Sugiono said on Monday (1/20) that it had cut off 19-day-old hatching eggs (HE) by approximately 13 million eggs per week since January 2 by withdrawing from the hatcher machine.

The hatching egg cut-offs would have an impact on the reduction in day-old chicken (DOC) in February by 37.05 million. Agriculture Ministry conducts DOC final stock by reducing the entire parent stock (PS) population aged 55 weeks and over. All of these measures are efforts to maintain a balance between purebred chicken providers and market demands. That way, the chicken price at the farmer could be maintained at least equal to the purchase reference price of Rp 18,000-Rp 20,000 per kg.