The aid was distributed in stages, with the target of helping resolve stunting-related issues in seven provinces, the agency's main secretary, Sarwo Edhy, said during the appreciation night for the Government Food Assistance Distribution Program here on Thursday.
The seven provinces that received the food aid include North Sumatra, Banten, West Java, Central Java, East Java, West Sulawesi, and East Nusa Tenggara.
"If we can resolve (stunting) in those seven countries, we can resolve around 60 percent of the stunting rate," Edhy said.
Meanwhile, ID Food president director Sis Apik Wijayanto informed that the food aid consisted of poultry eggs and chicken carcasses, and aimed to meet the protein needs of families at risk of stunting.
He said that the distribution of the aid also had a direct multiplier effect on other local economies, considering that in the process of gathering the assistance, they collaborated with 1,883 broiler chicken farmers and 6,895 community egg chicken farmers.
"We are grateful for closing the first and second stages of the food assistance program with the achievement at 100 percent," Wijayanto added.
According to the Indonesian Health Survey (SKI), stunting prevalence declined 0.1 percent in 2023 to 21.5 percent from 21.6 percent in 2022.
According to the Bapanas, the government's food reserve distribution program for stunting eradication, which has been running since 2023, has also contributed to the empowerment of local chicken and egg farmers.
Aid packages containing 10 eggs and 0.9 kilogram to 1 kilogram of frozen chicken meat have been distributed thrice, not only to meet the food and nutrition needs of the community, but also to support the upstream aspect by allowing livestock farmers' food products to be absorbed by the market at a good price.
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Translator: Ahmad Muzdaffar Fauzan, Yashinta Difa
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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