BLITAR – The deepening egg price crisis pushed poultry farmers in the Blitar region to distribute one million eggs for free on Sunday, as they called on the government to intervene and protect small-scale producers from mounting financial losses.

Thousands of residents gathered at Kanigoro Square to receive free eggs from local farmers. The event quickly drew large crowds, with many people bringing containers from home to collect the giveaway packages.

Farmers transported the eggs using around 200 pickup trucks. Volunteers packed the eggs in plastic containers before distributing them to residents throughout the day.

Behind the social campaign, however, lay growing frustration among poultry producers. Farmers said egg prices have fallen sharply over the past several weeks, while feed costs continue to rise.

Suyanto, coordinator of the independent farmers’ movement, said producers currently sell eggs for only Rp 20,600 to Rp 21,000 per kilogram. That figure sits well below the production cost, which averages around Rp 23,000 per kilogram.

“Our egg prices have collapsed. We lose around Rp 2,000 on every kilogram we sell. Some farmers have even pawned important documents to survive,” Suyanto said.

The situation has become increasingly difficult for small farmers. Many depend on daily egg sales to buy feed for the next day. As profits disappear, they struggle to maintain operations.

According to Suyanto, feed prices have climbed significantly in recent months. A sack of feed that previously cost about Rp 370,000 now sells for between Rp 400,000 and Rp 420,000.

Farmers argue that rising production costs and falling egg prices have created an unsustainable business environment. They believe many small and micro-scale producers could face bankruptcy if conditions do not improve.

The protest represented independent poultry farmers from several areas, including Blitar, Tulungagung, Kediri, and Trenggalek. Organizers stressed that the action reflected the concerns of smaller producers rather than large commercial poultry companies.

“Large companies still have capital reserves and feed stocks. Small farmers depend on daily income from egg sales,” Suyanto said.

Farmers also voiced concern over reports that foreign investors may enter Indonesia’s layer chicken industry. They fear stronger competition could threaten the survival of local producers.

“We worry that small farmers will get pushed aside. If large investors enter the sector, it will become even harder for community-based farmers to survive,” he said.

Despite their concerns, farmers acknowledged support from local livestock authorities. Officials have helped producers access subsidized corn through the government’s Food Supply and Price Stabilization Program (SPHP) managed by the National Logistics Agency, or Bulog.

Local governments have also facilitated discussions aimed at expanding egg distribution to markets outside the region and beyond Java.

Still, farmers insist that stronger intervention from the central government remains necessary. They hope policymakers will introduce measures to stabilize egg prices and protect small producers from further losses.

“We hope the central government takes immediate action to stabilize egg prices so independent farmers can continue operating,” Suyanto said.