Jakarta – The Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin Indonesia) and the Ministry of Cooperatives of the Republic of Indonesia held the inaugural coordination meeting of the Protein Task Force at Menara Kadin Indonesia, Jakarta, on Thursday (13/08/2026). The meeting was part of Kadin Indonesia’s efforts to strengthen the national protein ecosystem while supporting the government in addressing various challenges in the livestock and food sectors.

Deputy Chairman for Organization of Kadin Indonesia and Deputy Chairman for Regional Empowerment of the Protein Task Force, Taufan Eko Nugroho Rotorasiko, welcomed the establishment of the Protein Task Force, which he said has a strategic role in addressing various issues facing the national protein sector.

He said the establishment of the Protein Task Force was initiated by Kadin Indonesia Deputy Chairman for Livestock, Cecep Mohammad Wahyudin. According to Taufan, protein is a highly important and strategic issue, particularly as a number of challenges in the livestock sector have become increasingly prominent in recent times.

Taufan highlighted the issue of declining egg prices in several regions, which has triggered concerns and demonstrations among egg farmers.

“Yesterday, I heard that prices in several regions had fallen quite significantly, which also led to anger. There were several demonstrations, particularly by egg farmers,” he said.

According to Taufan, Kadin Indonesia needs to look at the issue from various perspectives, including how the business community can help farmers, particularly micro- and small-scale farmers.

“We also need to take affirmative action to help those who are struggling as entrepreneurs,” he said.

Meanwhile, Kadin Indonesia Deputy Chairman for Livestock and Chairman of the Protein Task Force, Cecep Mohammad Wahyudin, explained that the Protein Task Force would implement four priority programs. The programs have been designed to support the government while addressing urgent issues within the national protein ecosystem.

“There are many programs that we will implement, but there are four programs that we consider particularly urgent in helping the government,” Cecep said.

The first program is downstreaming. According to Cecep, challenges in several food programs, including the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program, remain in the supply chain process, particularly on the downstreaming side.

He also highlighted challenges in the layer chicken farming sector, which he described as a “ticking time bomb” due to various anomalies in its production structure.

“Before all the commotion over collapsing egg prices and so on, we had already seen that the layer chicken sector seemed to be a ticking time bomb. It turned out that the explosion was quite severe and happened earlier than expected,” he said.

Cecep explained that layer chicken production is currently concentrated mainly on the islands of Java and Sumatra. Meanwhile, central and eastern regions of Indonesia have yet to see optimal development of layer chicken farming.

This condition, he added, has contributed to disparities in egg prices between regions. Therefore, one of the Protein Task Force’s focuses is to promote the decentralization of layer chicken farming so that production is not concentrated only in certain areas.

“The Protein Task Force’s program is to decentralize layer chicken farming,” he said.

The third priority program is strengthening the dairy cattle sector, which is closely related to milk availability. Cecep said the sector is one of the priorities in supporting milk supply for the MBG program.

However, he explained that the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) has issued the latest technical guidelines and implementation guidelines stating that milk is no longer categorized as a priority. This is partly due to the fact that Indonesia’s milk supply remains highly dependent on imports.

“Milk availability in Indonesia is still dependent on imports, by more than 80 percent,” he said.

The fourth program is digitalization. The Protein Task Force will promote the integration of the protein ecosystem, covering preparation and needs assessment, production, distribution, purchasing, inventory, payment systems, and financing.

“How can we connect and integrate everything, starting from the preparation or needs assessment process, then production and distribution, all the way to purchasing and inventory, as well as payments and even credit,” Cecep said.

He expressed hope that payment and financing systems could eventually be distributed effectively, making it easier for businesses to operate in the protein sector.

Cecep said the various programs are expected to begin implementation when the Protein Task Force is officially launched, which is planned to coincide with Kadin Indonesia’s anniversary on September 24, 2026.

“So the pilot projects are already underway,” Cecep said.

Furthermore, Kadin Indonesia Executive Director Pipin Moh. Saeful Arifin, who also serves as Head of the Joint Secretariat of the Protein Task Force, said the establishment of the Protein Task Force was driven by strong considerations amid ongoing economic and geopolitical disruptions.

He said the Kadin Indonesia Secretariat is responsible for supporting all activities of Kadin Indonesia’s leadership, including aggregating and implementing various organizational policies and programs.

“Certainly, this is not easy given the current situation. The solidarity and cohesiveness of Kadin Indonesia’s leadership, particularly within the Protein Task Force, are essential to support the chairman and the entire organization,” Pipin said.

He emphasized that the Kadin Indonesia Secretariat would continue to support the implementation of the Protein Task Force’s programs through ongoing coordination, from the preparation stage through implementation.

“This program is continuously coordinated with us, allowing us to document everything in as much detail as possible, from preparation through implementation,” he said.

Meanwhile, Special Staff to the Minister of Cooperatives, Ambar Pertiwiningrum, who also serves as Deputy Head of the Joint Secretariat of the Protein Task Force, said cooperatives have an important role to play in strengthening the livestock sector, particularly in encouraging the involvement of farmers in the regions, from small-scale to large-scale farmers.

According to Ambar, livestock businesses continue to face various challenges, particularly in the layer chicken and broiler sectors. She also noted that the protein issue is not limited to livestock, but also encompasses fisheries and other subsectors.

“Protein is not only about livestock. I think fisheries and other sectors are also included. However, livestock farming is one of the main activities carried out by communities, particularly in rural areas,” she said.

Ambar added that several cooperatives are currently engaged in the layer chicken farming sector. The Protein Task Force is expected to further strengthen the role of cooperatives in providing protection and support to farmers, including in relation to feed prices and linkages with various government programs.

“With the establishment of this Task Force, we can truly bring cooperatives, particularly those involved in livestock and other protein sectors, into efforts to protect prices, especially feed prices, and also link them with current government programs, particularly the MBG program,” she said.

Also attending the meeting were Kadin Indonesia Deputy Chairman for Agriculture and Deputy Chairman for Internal Cooperation Relations of the Protein Task Force Devi Erna Rachmawati; Kadin Indonesia Deputy Chairman for MSME Entrepreneurship R.M. Tedy Aliudin; and Kadin Indonesia Deputy Chairman for Business Protection and Legal Affairs for MSMEs and Cooperatives and Deputy for External Government and Inter-Institutional Relations of the Protein Task Force Mufti Mubarok.