A government ban on the use of antibiotics as a growth promoter in livestock was meant to reduce the risk of antimicrobial resistance.

However, industry players are struggling as they scramble to find alternatives to boost production.

Agriculture Minister Regulation No. 14/2017 on the classification of veterinary medicine banned the use of antibiotic growth promoters (AGP) as both a feed additive and medicine.

The ban, which took effect earlier this year, has contributed to a decline in productivity in the poultry industry.

Major diversified agriculture firm PT Japfa Comfeed Indonesia said without antibiotics, its chickens were more prone to diseases, thus affecting productivity.

“Based on what we’ve seen in the field thus far, the prohibition of AGP affects their immune system, which also results in an increased mortality rate,” said Japfa corporate affairs director Rachmat Indrajaya.

“The growth cycle of chickens is also slower than before. In the past, within a month, a chicken could reach its ideal weight. But now it needs longer to reach the ideal weight.”

In the past, he added, a chicken could reach its ideal weight of 2 kilograms within a month, but today it only reached 1.4 kg within the same period.

Rachmat said the company used supplements such as probiotics and acidifiers as an alternative to antibiotics.

It was also conducting research to find a possible herbal substitute for antibiotics.

Players in the industry have struggled to find alternatives that could help ensure their poultry’s health and immunity.

Productions costs have also increased as they seek alternative supplements.

National Chicken Farmers Association (Gopan) head Herry Dermawan argued that the AGP ban increased production costs by 15 percent, while productivity decreased by 15 to 20 percent.

For example, he said, for a chicken to reach a weight of 1 kg, a farmer would need 1.7 kg of poultry feed. Now, 2 kg of poultry feed was needed.

“In the past, from 1,000 chickens, we could harvest 950 with an average weight of 1.6 kg,” Herry said, adding that from 1,000 chickens, farmers could now only harvest 850 with an average weight of 1.4 kg.

Herry said industry players were now trying to find a solution through trial and error to increase their poultry’s immunity without antibiotics.

“Some use natural remedies like garlic, while others use probiotics and acidifiers.”

He added that the AGP ban was not the only factor that led to the increase in the price of eggs and chicken meat.

“It is more because of the market mechanism in which market prices are defined by supply and demand,” Herry said.

Japfa’s Rachmat also highlighted long collective Idul Fitri leave this year, as well as uncertain weather, which resulted in declining production, as some of the root causes.

Trade Minister Enggartiasto Lukita said the increase in the price of eggs and chicken meat was due to the imbalance between supply and demand.

Extreme weather and the antibiotics ban have resulted in a high mortality rate among chickens, which has negatively affected production and supply, he said.

Moreover, the extended collective leave has also affected the distribution chain.

Enggartiasto warned business players in the industry to decrease egg and chicken meat prices gradually until next week.

If prices did not change within a week, he said, the government intended to intervene in the market by asking big poultry integrators — companies that perform the breeding, hatching, feeding and processing of poultry — to directly sell their their stocks at markets.

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