Indonesia has started destroying eggs in order to
stop the plummeting prices for live poultry, an official said
Wednesday.
"There's an oversupply of chickens and we're trying to reduce it,"
said Sugiyono, director for animal husbandry at the Agriculture
Ministry.
The eggs - which are fertilized and ready for hatching - will be
destroyed by poultry farmers under the supervision of the Agriculture
Ministry. The government expects to destroy a total of 10 million hatching eggs
over the next several weeks. The policy will be reviewed every two
weeks, Sugiyono added.
Live bird prices have slumped to as low as 9,000 rupiah (less than 1
dollar) per kilogram from 19,000 rupiah earlier this year, according
to the Indonesian Association of Poultry Traders.
Hundreds of poultry farmers are planning to hold a protest outside
the presidential palace in Jakarta on Thursday to demand the
government take action, association chairman Singgih Januratmoko
said.
"We will give away 600 live chickens as a form of protest against the
government for its inability to solve the problem," he said.
International / ASEAN/Philippines
Indonesia begins destroying millions of eggs as poultry prices drop
A man carries eggs as he crosses a street at a Sepaku market in North Penajam Paser regency, East Kalimantan province, Indonesia, August 29, 2019