Mendes Yandri: MBG has great potential to improve living standards of rural residents

Jakarta (ANTARA) – The Minister of Villages and Disadvantaged Regions Development (Mendes PDT) Yandri Susanto expressed optimism that the implementation of the Free Nutritious Meal Programme (MBG) has significant potential to improve the living standards of rural communities.

“God willing, this MBG activity also has great potential to raise the living standards of rural communities,” said Minister Yandri, quoted in Jakarta on Tuesday.

He made this statement during a discussion with journalists at an iftar gathering at his official residence in Jakarta on Monday evening (16 March).

Minister Yandri further explained that MBG has significant potential to improve rural living standards because the programme increases productivity and strengthens village economies through thematic villages that supply food ingredients for the MBG.

“Egg-laying chicken villages, maize villages, catfish villages, tilapia villages, broiler chicken villages – these have emerged now through the food security programme we planned last year, with 20 per cent of village funds allocated to food security in 2025. In other words, the positive effects of MBG are very substantial,” said the former Vice Chair of the Indonesian People’s Consultative Assembly.

Additionally, Minister Yandri highlighted that the implementation of the MBG programme has managed to address malnutrition problems in villages. Because of these various positive impacts, Minister Yandri stated that many rural residents have expressed gratitude for the MBG programme. He argued that calls to halt the programme would be misguided.