Village Cooperative Merah Putih Supports MBG and Ensures Maximum Absorption of Farmers’ Grain
By: Vania Salsabila Pratama
The Village Cooperative Merah Putih serves as a real solution in ensuring the welfare of farmers by guaranteeing the absorption of their harvests and supporting the MBG (Free Nutritious Meals) program. With its strategic role, this cooperative is expected to strengthen national food security and improve the living standards of rural communities.
For a long time, many farmers have faced significant challenges regarding fluctuating grain prices, especially during the harvest season. This often leads to losses due to selling prices being lower than production costs. Therefore, the existence of a cooperative that can absorb harvests at stable prices offers new hope for farmers across various regions.
Head of the National Food Agency, Arief Prasetyo Adi, emphasized that the establishment of the Village Cooperative Merah Putih is a strategic step in ensuring the supply of food ingredients for MBG and effectively absorbing farmers’ dry grain harvests.
He believes this program can be a major driver of the rural economy by fostering downstreaming of agricultural products from rural communities. This includes various aspects, from processing agricultural products to more equitable distribution across different regions.
Arief stated that the cooperative is designed to absorb farmers’ harvests so that selling prices remain stable. The cooperative’s presence is expected to prevent the price drops that frequently occur during the harvest season.
Currently, various preparations are underway to ensure that the cooperative operates optimally. Multiple stakeholders, including government agencies, private entities, and farming communities, are actively supporting this initiative.
Deputy Minister for Development of Disadvantaged Villages, Ahmad Riza Patria, mentioned that the launch of the Village Cooperative Merah Putih is scheduled for July 12, 2025, in commemoration of National Cooperative Day.
Each village will later have outlets that can store, manage, and distribute agricultural, livestock, and other products to meet the needs of the rural community. These outlets will also provide broader market access, ensuring that rural products are not only consumed locally but also marketed to other regions.
Minister of Cooperatives, Budi Arie Setiadi, emphasized that this cooperative is a tangible solution for improving rural communities’ welfare and addressing their economic challenges. This was conveyed after a closed meeting with several ministers of the Merah Putih Cabinet, led by President Prabowo Subianto at the Merdeka Palace. The decision was made as part of a national strategy to strengthen the rural economy and reduce social inequality in rural areas.
According to Budi Arie, the primary goal of this cooperative is to empower rural communities and break the cycle of poverty, which remains a significant challenge. Through this cooperative, rural residents’ incomes are expected to increase significantly. Additionally, the cooperative serves as an educational platform for rural communities to manage their finances and businesses more effectively.
Furthermore, this cooperative plays a crucial role in protecting rural communities from the traps of illegal online loans, loan sharks, and predatory lenders that often burden them. With a fairer and more structured financial system, the cooperative can serve as a healthier financing alternative for rural residents. Loans provided by the cooperative are expected to have lower interest rates than those offered by unofficial lenders.
Budi Arie added that the savings and loan unit within the cooperative will facilitate financial access for rural communities, preventing them from falling into the poverty cycle that is difficult to escape. Through this initiative, the government hopes to sustainably improve rural communities’ welfare and contribute to national economic growth. This step is also expected to create a more stable economic environment and empower local resources optimally.
The establishment of the Village Cooperative Merah Putih is a concrete step in building a self-sufficient rural economy. With full support from various parties, this cooperative is expected to become a key pillar in enhancing rural communities’ welfare and ensuring their agricultural products are well absorbed.
Active participation from the community in this cooperative is highly encouraged so that its benefits can be widely and sustainably felt. Additionally, this program opens opportunities for young people in rural areas to engage in the local economy, whether as farmers, cooperative managers, or entrepreneurs utilizing the cooperative as a business platform.
Ultimately, the Village Cooperative Merah Putih not only functions as a tool for absorbing grain and other rural products but also as a driving force for a more modern and competitive rural economy. With the right strategy, this program can provide long-term benefits for rural communities and create a sustainable cooperative business model.
Therefore, the success of this program heavily depends on collaboration between the government, business players, and rural communities themselves to ensure the cooperative grows and delivers maximum benefits to all its members.
The author is a contributor to Ruang Baca Nusantara.
