Agrinas CEO: 'Red and White' Village Co-ops to Ease Access to Goods in Rural Areas

The President Director of PT Agrinas Pangan Nusantara, Joao Angelo de Sousa Mota, has revealed the purpose behind the creation of the Koperasi Desa/Kelurahan Merah Putih (KDKMP). Joao stated that the KDKMP was established to ensure that all goods produced across various industries can reach rural communities. “So actually, the presence of the Red and White Village Cooperative is to ensure that all goods produced in all industries can reach the village community,” Joao told reporters after the National KDKMP Seminar in the TMII area, East Jakarta, on Thursday (16/7/2026). Joao explained that with the KDKMP, goods available in urban areas will also be accessible in rural villages. He added that the prices of goods sold would also be fairer. “The purpose of the Red and White Village Cooperative’s presence is to realise a fair price for the village community, and also so that they can access all the goods that we can access in the city, they in the village will also be able to access the same goods at a fairer price,” he said. With the KDKMP, it is hoped that the distribution chain for village shops will be shortened. This is expected to accelerate the prosperity of village shops. “Especially for small shops, which so far, because of the long distribution chain, have had very tight margins. With the presence of the Red and White Village Cooperative, the margins they get can be thicker, so that prosperity for small shops can be achieved more quickly,” he said. Joao stressed that the KDKMP is managed professionally and transparently. He said the cooperative can control prices to keep them stable by utilising the distribution channels owned by the KDKMP. “To control prices, especially the distribution prices from producers who have been supplying modern retailers, is by ensuring that the distribution channels we have, or the logistics we have, can be utilised to reduce prices for sale in villages at more stable prices,” he added.