Indonesia begins destroying millions of eggs as poultry prices drop

Indonesia has started destroying eggs in order tostop the plummeting prices for live poultry, an official saidWednesday.  "There's an oversupply of chickens and we're trying to reduce it,"said Sugiyono, director for animal husbandry at the AgricultureMinistry.The eggs - which are fertilized and ready for hatching - will bedestroyed by poultry farmers under the supervision of the AgricultureMinistry. The government expects to destroy a total of 10 million hatching eggsover the next several weeks.  The policy will be reviewed every twoweeks, Sugiyono added. Live bird prices have slumped to as low as 9,000 rupiah (less than 1dollar) per kilogram from 19,000 rupiah earlier this year, accordingto the Indonesian Association of Poultry Traders.Hundreds of poultry farmers are planning to hold a protest outsidethe presidential palace in Jakarta on Thursday to demand thegovernment take action, association chairman Singgih Januratmokosaid.  "We will give away 600 live chickens as a form of protest against thegovernment for its inability to solve the problem," he said.