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| Indonesia Faces Chicken Supply Shortage Amid Free Nutritious Meal Program. |
The Head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), Dadan Hindayana, revealed that Indonesia could soon face a shortage of chicken supplies as the government’s Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) program continues to expand. The program aims to improve public nutrition, especially for school children across the country.
According to Dadan, each Nutrition Fulfillment Service Unit (SPPG), or MBG kitchen, serves around 3,000 beneficiaries every day. Based on calculations, this requires about 350 chickens per day to meet the daily menu needs. If chicken-based meals are served twice a week, each SPPG will need around 700 chickens.
“In one month, each SPPG will need about 2,800 chickens,” Dadan explained. He added that as the MBG program continues to grow nationwide, chicken production must increase as well to ensure a stable supply and prevent shortages in the market.
Dadan emphasized the importance of collaboration between the government, poultry farmers, and food industry players to anticipate the surge in chicken demand. He suggested increasing the number of poultry farmers and improving feed and distribution facilities to maintain supply without pushing up consumer prices.
In addition to supply issues, BGN is also tightening food safety supervision after a recent food poisoning incident related to the MBG program.
The MBG kitchen in Kota Soe 1, located in the Kota Baru District of Timor Tengah Selatan Regency, has been temporarily suspended after 384 students suffered nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and shortness of breath on October 3, 2025. The symptoms appeared after they ate the MBG meal of shredded chicken soup.
A joint investigation by BGN and the local health office is underway to determine the cause of the incident. Preliminary findings suggest that the issue may have stemmed from improper food storage or handling during meal preparation.
Dadan stated that this case serves as an important lesson to strengthen food safety standards in the implementation of MBG nationwide. He assured that BGN will enhance supervision and provide additional training for kitchen staff to prevent similar incidents in the future.
“The goal of this program is to provide nutritious and safe meals for our children, not to create new health problems,” he said.
The Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) program is one of the government’s priority initiatives designed to combat stunting and malnutrition among students. With balanced and healthy meal options, the government hopes to ensure children grow up strong, intelligent, and productive.
However, the main challenge now lies in maintaining a consistent and sufficient food supply. The government must ensure that the supply chain—from poultry farms to MBG kitchens—runs efficiently to avoid economic side effects, such as rising chicken prices in traditional markets.
Food experts also recommend that the government diversify protein sources by including fish, eggs, and tempeh to reduce dependency on chicken. This approach would help sustain the MBG program and prevent nationwide chicken shortages.