Jakarta (ANTARA) - As many as 1,923 cooperatives will supply raw ingredients for the Free Nutritious Meals Program, according to Cooperatives Minister Budi Arie Setiadi."There are 1,923 cooperatives ready to contribute to the implementation of the Free Nutritious Meals Program," he said after a meeting led by President Prabowo Subianto at the Bogor Presidential Palace on Friday.
They include cooperatives selling eggs, rice, and fish, he informed. The cooperatives will help provide raw ingredients for the meals on the program's menu.
In addition, the government will also involve village-owned enterprises in preparing the free meals in 29 provinces. According to the minister, President Prabowo has called for cooperation between the government and cooperatives as well as village-owned enterprises to support the program.
Besides boosting the economy in the villages, the President wants the raw ingredients used in the free meals program to come from local farmers rather than imports.
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"The President said that the raw ingredients must come from Indonesia, so it can drive the community's economy," Setiadi explained.
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The free meals program, which is a part of the Asta Cita or eight main programs launched by the Prabowo-Gibran government, aims to improve Indonesia's future generations by fulfilling the nutritional needs of pregnant women, toddlers, schoolchildren, and those at risk of stunting.
The government has prepared a budget of Rp71 trillion (nearly USD4.4 billion) for the program, which will run this year, according to the plan.
