Starting January 6, 2025, Here Are The Details Of The Free Nutrition Program

A free nutritious meal program with a budget of Rp 71 trillion will officially start on Monday, January 6, 2025. Minister of Cooperatives Budi Arie Setiadi confirmed the program's launch after a meeting with President Prabowo Subianto at the Bogor Presidential Palace on Friday, January 3, 2025. "The program will begin on January 6. Our ministry is here to assist," said Budi Arie.

President Prabowo emphasized that the program aims not only to meet nutritional food needs but also to boost rural economic growth. "The President's directive is that the ingredients must come from villages, not imports, so that village economies can thrive," Budi Arie explained after the meeting. The government hopes to create positive economic effects from upstream to downstream through collaboration with cooperatives and Village-Owned Enterprises (BUMDes).

The free nutritious meal program will involve over 1,900 cooperatives from various sectors, including egg and vegetable cooperatives. Villages with key commodities like rice, corn, tilapia, and melons will provide the main ingredients. "We will supply the ingredients through cooperatives and BUMDes, following the President's guidance. This way, the ingredients will truly come from the villages," said Minister of Village and Underdeveloped Region Development, Yandri Susanto. Twenty percent of the total budget of Rp 71 trillion will be allocated to support food security in this program.

Initial plans proposed a budget of Rp 15,000 per portion for nutritious meals. However, to ensure budget efficiency, this amount was reduced to Rp 10,000 per portion. President Prabowo stated that this figure has been calculated to ensure the quality and nutrition of the meals, even in remote areas.

President Prabowo stated in a press conference in November 2024, "We estimate that Rp 10,000 per serving is of good quality and nutritious." Who can receive free nutritious meals? The initial targets of this program include students from early childhood to high school, toddlers, pregnant women, and nursing mothers. Dadan Hindayana, head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), mentioned that the program aims to reach 82.9 million people by 2027. "Our goal for 2027 is to cover 82.9 million people. In December 2024, we will start a pilot project from Sabang to Merauke. In January 2025, we will launch the program on a large scale from 923 locations," Dadan added. This program is also expected to boost the economy, especially for workers and low-income groups.

Tag: Budi Arie Setiadi Free Nutrition Program Prabowo Subianto