DPR Urges Large Industries to Involve MSMEs and Local Farmers and Livestock Breeders
Garudafood has a strong programme to support the involvement of MSMEs, farmers, and breeders, from supplying salt, peanuts, and milk for raw materials used in their food and beverage products.
Gresik, East Java (ANTARA) – The Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI) has called on large-scale industries to massively involve micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) as well as local farmers and livestock breeders in meeting production needs.
“Large companies can serve as off-takers for MSMEs,” said Erna Sari Dewi, Chair of the Working Visit Team of the VII Commission of the DPR RI, in Gresik, East Java, on Thursday.
Erna said that large-scale industries could use MSME products as their input materials, thereby creating a more equitable distribution of economic activity.
Moreover, in the production process, she added, MSMEs should have a substantial share in contributing to the operational activities of large industries.
Based on her visit to PT Garudafood Putra Putri Jaya with Commission VII, the company is found to involve farmers to satisfy raw material needs in the form of peanuts and milk.
Reghi Perdana, Expert Staff to the Minister of UMKM for Law and Public Policy, stressed that industries must partner with, mentor, and empower MSMEs to yield robust aggregate economic growth.
“Garudafood has a good programme to support the involvement of MSMEs, farmers, and livestock breeders, from supplying salt, peanuts, and milk for the raw materials used in their food and beverage products,” Reghi said.
Additionally, the ministry notes that it supports training dairy cattle farmers to produce high-quality milk that averages around three litres per animal per day.
This effort has been undertaken by farmers in Tulungagung Regency, East Java, and is being developed for farmers in Boyolali, Central Java.
This expansive effort is being carried out to meet raw material needs, particularly as the food and beverage industry faces current supply challenges due to currency fluctuations driven by geopolitical circumstances.
Therefore, Bambang said, the industry must keep moving forward given that food and beverage products are highly popular with the public, making the involvement of local potential a prudent step.
Moreover, Bambang hopes that the government can support and integrate more sustainably between large-scale industries and local potential such as MSMEs, farmers, and breeders.
“Commission VII calls for government support, especially in integrating all related parties. For example, coordinating salt with the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) and the Ministry of Industry, to turn our salt into industrial salt,” Bambang said.