After a meeting with Commission IX of the House of Representatives (DPR) in Jakarta on Monday, BGN head Dadan Hindayana explained that this step was taken to prevent milk imports, as the agency is committed to empowering local products through the MBG program.
Hindayana stated that milk is included in the meal budget for each student, set at Rp10,000 (around US$0.62) per meal.
With this approach, milk will be provided at least three times a week in regions with dairy farms.
In regions without milk production or dairy farms, protein sources will be replaced with alternatives such as fish and eggs.
The MBG program, which was officially launched on Monday, is one of the government's priorities. A budget of Rp71 trillion (nearly US$4.4 billion) has been allocated for the program.
The government set up the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) in August 2024 to support the program's implementation.
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Translator: Tri Meilani, Raka Adji
Editor: Anton Santoso
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