He referred to the more than 80,000 cooperatives established under the Red and White Village Cooperatives (KDMP) program, which was launched by President Prabowo Subianto in July last year.
"The MBG and KDMP programs will be interconnected. Village cooperatives will be tasked with absorbing products from MSMEs (micro, small, and medium enterprises) as well as agricultural and fishery commodities," Hasan said in Lamongan District, East Java, on Tuesday.
During a review of a KDMP in Doyomulyo Village, the minister noted that President Prabowo had instructed him to help oversee the implementation of the two national priority programs, including in East Java, as part of efforts to maintain stock and price stability of essential goods.
He stressed that village cooperatives have the potential to secure a strong food supply chain for rural communities in general and for the MBG program, which has reached around 60 million citizens and is expected to serve 82.9 million people this year.
"Such cooperatives will be directed to supply the needs of MBG kitchens, including rice, eggs, and MSME products," he said.
To ensure benefits and protection for farmers, Hasan stressed that the government will not permit village cooperatives to purchase unhulled rice at less than the predetermined price of Rp6,500 (about US$0.38) per kilogram.
Turning to the fishery sector, he affirmed the government’s commitment to providing village cooperatives with transportation support and cold storage facilities to help villagers preserve marine yields.
The minister also praised Lamongan for its notable progress in developing village cooperatives and expressed appreciation to noncommissioned village military officers (Babinsa) for supporting the program’s implementation.
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Translator: Astrid/Alimun, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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