Bogor — President Prabowo Subianto reaffirmed the government’s commitment to strengthening the position of farmers and fishermen through the establishment of fully operational village cooperatives. Through the Koperasi Merah Putihprogram, the government aims for at least 28,000 village cooperatives to be fully functional in the coming months, complete with infrastructure for distribution and storage of local produce.
This was conveyed by President Prabowo during his Presidential Briefing at the 2026 National Coordination Meeting (Rakornas) of Central and Regional Governments in Sentul, Bogor, on Monday (2/2/2026). The President emphasized that these cooperatives are not merely administrative bodies but economic entities with real facilities to support village production activities.
“In a few months, we will establish at least 28,000 cooperatives. In each village, operational cooperatives will have warehouses, cold storage, and two trucks each,” President Prabowo stated.
The 8th President of Indonesia explained that the Koperasi Merah Putih is designed to break the chain of dependence of farmers and fishermen on middlemen. Limited distribution and storage facilities have long forced villagers to sell their harvests cheaply or even let them go to waste.
“No harvest will go unsold. If it cannot be sold yet, it will be stored in warehouses. The cooperatives can deliver the harvest themselves,” Prabowo affirmed.
According to the President, an integrated cooperative system with warehouses and transport fleets will provide market certainty for the people. Farmers and fishermen will no longer have to wait for buyers to come to the village or rely on middlemen who set the prices. Through the cooperatives, produce can be managed, stored, and delivered directly according to market demand.
“In the past, they had to wait for someone to take it—middlemen or intermediaries. Now, that’s no longer the case,” said Prabowo.
Beyond agriculture, Prabowo also highlighted the development of fishing villages as part of the government’s broader strategy to meet national nutritional needs. He stressed that fresh fish is an affordable source of protein and crucial for improving human resource quality.
“We will develop fishing villages so our people can get fresh, protein-rich fish, which may cost half as much as meat,” he said.
Prabowo emphasized that ensuring sufficient protein intake for all Indonesian families is a major government goal. Through the strengthening of village cooperatives and fishing villages, he aims to ensure that every family has access to nutritious food daily.
“Every Indonesian family must have protein in their meals every day. That is the goal of the Government of the Republic of Indonesia. That is my goal,” concluded Prabowo.