Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs Zulkifli Hasan (Zulhas) has\ncalled on Koperasi Desa (Village Cooperative) Merah Putih to actively\nabsorb agricultural produce when prices decline, in order to protect\nresident incomes and maintain food supply stability.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Merah Putih Village Cooperative must become a distribution\ncentre. If rice is not absorbed, the cooperative must purchase it. If\nfish or eggs are unsold, the cooperative must take them,\u201d Zulhas stated\nin a statement on Friday, 27 February 2026.<\/p>\n
He conducted a direct inspection of Kopdes Merah Putih Endang Rejo in\nLampung Tengah Regency on Thursday, 26 February 2026. During his visit,\nhe emphasised that village cooperatives should not merely sell basic\ncommodities, but must also act as intermediaries connecting farmer,\nlivestock, and fisher production to broader markets.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is here that supplies are distributed, including for the needs of\nnutritious meal provision under the Free Nutritious Meals programme,\u201d he\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Kopdes Merah Putih Endang Rejo has 107 members with established\nmanagement and supervisory structures. The cooperative remains in the\nconsolidation and operational preparation phase, including\nadministrative strengthening and working capital development.<\/p>\n
During the visit, Zulhas also expressed appreciation to the\nIndonesian Military (TNI) for their support in constructing the physical\nfacilities of Kopdes Merah Putih Endang Rejo under a unified command for\naccelerated rural development.<\/p>\n
Zulhas views Kopdes Merah Putih as a stabilisation instrument at the\nvillage level when supply surpluses suppress prices at the producer\nlevel.<\/p>\n
Beyond absorption of agricultural production, Kopdes Merah Putih\nEndang Rejo is planned to develop services for providing basic\nnecessities, village financial services, agricultural and livestock\nproduction inputs, and cold chain storage facilities to reduce\npost-harvest losses.<\/p>\n
He also encouraged cooperative management to be conducted\nprofessionally and accountably through management training and the\npreparation of permanent management personnel. Nationally, the\ngovernment has targeted the completion of 30,000 Kopdes Merah Putih\nphysical structures by May\u2013June before entering the operational\nphase.<\/p>\n
As of 5 February 2026, approximately 680 structures have been\ncompleted, with the majority located in Central Java, East Java, and\nWest Java.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/stabilise-supply-zulhas-urges-red-and-white-village-cooperatives-to-actively-absorb-agricultural-produce-1772190287", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }