Government Encourages Active Role of Village Communities in Supplying Raw Materials for MBG Program
Jakarta – The government continues to encourage active involvement of village communities in supporting the national priority program of Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) initiated by President Prabowo Subianto. The Minister of Villages and Development of Disadvantaged Regions (Mendes PDT), Yandri Susanto, emphasized the importance of the role of villages as a barn providing food raw materials to support the sustainability of the MBG program.
In a knowledge sharing activity entitled “Food and Climate Resilient Villages” held in Jakarta, Yandri emphasized that villages have great potential in terms of food security.
“I hope that through the planting movement, we can welcome the Free Nutritious Meal program with full readiness. It takes a lot of raw materials every day, and the village can be the main provider,” he said.
Yandri also said that until now there have been 190 Nutrition Fulfillment Service Units (SPPG) in 26 provinces. This number will continue to grow along with the expansion of the MBG program. He hopes that villages will immediately start a local commodity-based food security program to be able to meet the needs of MBG kitchens.
“In the future, there will be 30 thousand MBG kitchens. That requires a large supply of tomatoes, chilies, eggs, fish, and chicken. If not from the village, where else?” he said.
In line with Yandri, the Director of Food and Agriculture at Bappenas, Anang Noegroho, said that synergy between government programs and village community movements is very important.
“Villages are the main force in building national food security. If managed well, villages can be the mainstay of food supply for the MBG program while improving the welfare of their communities,” said Anang.
The Ministry of Villages also opens up opportunities for collaboration with universities, research institutions, and the private sector to encourage innovation in village food management.
Agricultural technology assistance, entrepreneurship training, and sustainable market access will be key to ensuring village food production meets the standards and quantities required by the MBG program.
Not only to fulfill nutritional needs, the role of villages in the MBG program is also expected to be able to create a more independent and competitive local economic ecosystem.
By absorbing village agricultural and livestock products into the national supply chain, it will create jobs, increase residents’ incomes, and the growth of new food-based business units.***
