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Poultry farmers go ahead with 'chicken giveaway' to tackle oversupply, low prices
The "chicken giveaway" was organized as a protest movement to address the current oversupply in a bid to increase farm-level prices.
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A man smiles as he catches a live chicken during the "chicken giveaway" protest movement on Wednesday at Yogyakarta City Hall. Some people were reportedly injured in the rush to claim the free birds during the giveaway, which was held in several areas of the city. (JP/Bambang Muryanto)
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oultry farmers in Central Java and Yogyakarta have given away thousands of live chickens on Wednesday to protest oversupply, which has led to a steep drop in the retail price for poultry meat.
The farmers were also protesting the gaping difference in the farm-level and retail prices. The farm-level price for 1 kilogram of chicken meat dropped to Rp 7,000 (49 US cents ) – less than half the normal price – while the commodity could fetch Rp 30,000 per kg at retail markets.
In Central Java, poultry farmers protested in Semarang, Surakarta, Purworejo, Temanggung, and Pemalang. In Semarang alone, chicken farmers gave away 11,500 chickens at seven locations in the city.
Central Java Husbandry and Animal Health Agency head Lalu M. Syafriadi said that the chicken oversupply was partly caused by a high number of undetected illegal farmers.
“This is where the problem lies,” he said, adding that the agency was forming a team to crack down on unlicensed poultry farmers and to monitor the distribution of day-old chicks (DOC) from integrated poultry companies.
Meanwhile, Kurnia Tejawati, the head of the Yogyakarta Husbandry and Animal Health Agency, blamed the drop in the farm-level price for chicken on an oversupply of chickens weighing 1.6-1.8 kg.
“The farmers have to sell the chickens because otherwise, they have to continue feeding them,” said Kurnia, adding that the ideal farm-level price of chicken should be at least Rp 14,000 per kg.
