Head of the BGN West Papua Representative Office Erika Vionita Werinusa noted that her office had instructed all MBG kitchens, officially called nutrition fulfillment service units (SPPG), to maximize the use of locally sourced ingredients.
"In West Papua, the BGN has begun leveraging the harvests of local farmers and MSMEs. We purchase vegetables, tubers, and bananas from local farmers to make MBG menus," she remarked in Manokwari, West Papua, on Tuesday.
Werinusa explained that the empowerment initiative aims to ensure that the MBG program not only boosts schoolchildren's nutritional intake but also improves public health while stimulating local economies.
However, she acknowledged that this effort has not been fully realized, as most MBG ingredients are still sourced from outside the province due to limited supply.
"We hope that the supply of local ingredients will increase so that we can reduce reliance on products sourced from beyond," she added.
In this regard, the BGN official suggested that SPPGs in the province turn to alternative commodities from local MSMEs when ingredient supplies fall short.
Highlighting economic empowerment, she pointed out that MBG kitchens in Kaimana District have been regularly procuring large quantities of bread from local MSMEs.
"In Kaimana, SPPGs purchase up to four thousand portions of bread from MSME actors daily. This initiative is carried out alternately among MSMEs to ensure that all of them benefit from the program," she said.
In Manokwari District, however, a similar trend has yet to emerge due to limited information on local MSMEs.
"We would like to encourage MSMEs in Manokwari to seize this opportunity. Be informed that SPPGs require a routine supply of bread and dried food," she stated.
As one of President Prabowo Subianto's flagship initiatives, the MBG program has provided nutritional support to more than 31 million people nationwide since its launch on January 6 this year, through the operation of 10.5 thousand SPPGs.
The program primarily targets schoolchildren, breastfeeding mothers, pregnant women, and toddlers. With its goal of enhancing human resource quality, MBG is projected to reach 83 million people by the end of this year.
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Translator: Ali N, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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