10 Village Associations Meet Minister to Back Free Nutritious Meals and Village Cooperative Programmes

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Ten village associations met with Minister of Villages and Development of Disadvantaged Regions (Mendes PDT) Yandri Susanto to convey their support for the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) and Village/Sub-district Cooperative (KDKMP) programmes. “The MBG and KDKMP programmes have encouraged the emergence of various thematic villages, such as melon villages, corn villages, rice villages, tilapia villages, broiler chicken villages, and layer chicken villages,” said Minister Yandri Susanto after the meeting in Jakarta on Tuesday. The ten associations comprised Papdesi, Apdesi Merah Putih, PP PPDI, Apdesi, DPN PPDI, PABPDSI, Abpednas, Kompakdesi, AKSI, and Gema Desa. Additionally, many Village-Owned Enterprises (BUMDes) are collaborating as partners of the Nutrition Fulfilment Service Units (SPPG) together with the National Nutrition Agency (BGN). With these two priority programmes in place, village communities now find it easier to access nutritious food, such as eggs and chicken meat. “Since the introduction of MBG, alhamdulillah, they have felt the benefits. This includes the birth of new economic growth centres, as well as the Village Cooperative,” said Yandri Susanto. According to him, the KDKMP is expected to become a locomotive driving the economy, a means of economic equalisation, and a new source of income for villages. He added that 20 per cent of the cooperative’s net surplus will become village original revenue, while the other 80 per cent will be returned to the village community. “And this will also help reduce unemployment in villages because the workforce for the Kopdes will be sourced from the local village,” said Yandri Susanto. Meanwhile, Papdesi Chairperson Wargiyati, representing the 10 associations, stated their support for the MBG and KDKMP programmes. “We, the village associations, fully support the Village/Sub-district Cooperative (KDKMP) programme as a locomotive for driving the village economy, creating jobs, increasing family incomes, and eradicating poverty,” said Wargiyati.