The Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) programme not only improves access to\nnutrition but also creates economic opportunities for local\nbusinesses.<\/p>\n
By involving micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs),\ncooperatives, village-owned enterprises (BUMDes), farmers and livestock\nbreeders in the food supply chain, the programme could expand the market\nfor local products and boost economic activity in the regions.<\/p>\n
According to National Nutrition Agency (BGN) data as at 9 October\n2026, 63,608 suppliers across 37 provinces were involved in the MBG\nprogramme. Of these, 52,689, or 82.83 per cent, were MSMEs. The\nremainder comprised 9,388 suppliers from cooperatives, 1,105 from BUMDes\nand 426 from Merah Putih Village Cooperatives (KDMP).<\/p>\n
BGN head Sudaryono said the programme was also intended to deliver\neconomic benefits to local businesses and food producers.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe programme has an impact on the local economy by empowering\nMSMEs, farmers and livestock breeders. The main requirement is that all\nfood ingredients must be suitable and meet food safety standards,\u201d\nSudaryono said in a statement on Sunday (25 October 2026).<\/p>\n
The high level of MSME participation in the MBG supply chain points\nto opportunities for local businesses to take part in a national\nprogramme. Demand for ingredients for nutritious meals opens up markets\nfor suppliers, from providing products to distributing food to Nutrition\nFulfilment Service Units (SPPGs).<\/p>\n
During President Prabowo Subianto\u2019s first two years in office, MBG\nhas become one of the programmes linking efforts to improve human\nresources with the economic empowerment of communities. Its economic\nbenefits could spread further if programme needs are met through lasting\npartnerships with local producers and businesses.<\/p>\n
MBG strengthens the supply chain and opens markets for local\nbusinesses<\/strong><\/p>\n The programme involves a range of participants in the food ecosystem.\nFarmers and livestock breeders can supply food, cooperatives can collect\nmembers\u2019 products, while MSMEs and BUMDes have opportunities to provide\nand distribute food supplies.<\/p>\n Under this arrangement, SPPGs are a key link between programme demand\nand suppliers. Procurement from local producers could create markets for\nbusinesses in the areas served while helping to sustain demand.<\/p>\n Sudaryono also stressed the importance of prioritising food from\nlocal areas, so communities there can benefit economically. He made the\nremarks in response to Bulog\u2019s proposal to supply premium rice to the\nMBG programme.<\/p>\n \u201cWe view Bulog\u2019s proposal positively. However, we want to emphasise\nthat the MBG programme will continue to prioritise food from local\nareas. We want local farmers, traders and MSMEs to share in the economic\nactivity generated by this programme,\u201d Sudaryono said.<\/p>\n BGN welcomed Bulog\u2019s proposal as support for meeting the programme\u2019s\nrice needs. The supply could provide an alternative when local supplies\nare insufficient, while food from the area remains the priority. This\napproach is consistent with efforts to strengthen local producers\u2019 role\nin the programme\u2019s supply chain.<\/p>\n One example is the procurement of eggs for MBG in East Java.\nAccording to BGN materials, SPPGs in the province are required to buy\neggs from local poultry farmers three times a week.<\/p>\n The reference price is about Rp24,000 per kilogram at farm level,\nwith estimated purchases amounting to 8\u201310 per cent of East Java\u2019s total\negg production. The arrangement is expected to open up a market for\nfarmers and boost economic activity in the region.<\/p>\n Strengthening local supply chains also gives cooperatives scope to\nenhance their members\u2019 economic role. By bringing together products from\nfarmers and livestock breeders, cooperatives could widen market access\nand establish more organised business relationships with programme\noperators.<\/p>\n However, the economic benefits will depend on how procurement is\ncarried out, including local supplier participation, continuity of\ndemand, product quality, fair prices and prompt payment to\nsuppliers.<\/p>\n More than one million staff and volunteers\ninvolved<\/strong><\/p>\n The programme also involves a large workforce. BGN data up to\nSeptember 2026 recorded 1,027,998 staff and volunteers actively\ninvolved, comprising 86,120 SPPG staff and 941,878 volunteers.<\/p>\n The figures indicate the scale of operations needed to support the\nprogramme across the country. However, they should be read according to\nthe categories used by BGN, as not all those counted are formal\nemployees or paid workers.<\/p>\n For service coverage, BGN data as at 9 October 2026 recorded 26,385\nSPPGs under the second provisional decree on beneficiary family groups\n(KPM), with 433,571 beneficiary groups and a total of 57,491,334\nbeneficiaries.<\/p>\n Separately, data up to September 2026 recorded budget spending of\nRp149.79 trillion and coverage of 53,906,576 beneficiaries. The two\nbeneficiary figures relate to different reporting periods.<\/p>\n The programme\u2019s extensive reach highlights the scale of food demand\nthat must be met on a sustained basis. In terms of economic empowerment,\nthis demand creates opportunities for local producers and suppliers to\nparticipate, provided they can meet standards for quality, food safety,\nprice and continuity of supply.<\/p>\n Going forward, stronger partnerships with MSMEs, farmers, livestock\nbreeders, cooperatives and BUMDes will be important to extending the\nprogramme\u2019s economic benefits.<\/p>\n Evaluation should also examine changes in MSME turnover, farmers\u2019 and\nlivestock breeders\u2019 incomes, the continuity of procurement contracts and\nthe distribution of business opportunities across regions.<\/p>\n MBG therefore has the potential to advance two development goals at\nonce: improving public nutrition and strengthening local economic\nactivity.<\/p>\n As part of the government\u2019s drive to deliver tangible results in its\nfirst two years, the programme\u2019s success will be measured not only by\nthe reach of its services but also by its efforts to build a supply\nchain in which local businesses can grow.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/bgn-says-free-nutritious-meals-programme-involves-52-689-msmes-and-empowers-1-million-people-1792896665",
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