Minister calls MBG programme game changer for Indonesia's economy
“We introduced what we call the Free Nutritious Meals program. It is our game changer,” he remarked at the International Strategic Meeting on Scientific Pathways for Sustainable Livestock Industry Transformation 2026, organized by the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) in Jakarta on Friday.
He emphasized that the government positions the MBG program at the heart of its ambitious goal of surpassing food security to achieve comprehensive and sustainable sufficiency in all essential food commodities.
On economic considerations, Pambudy underlined that the free meals initiative is aimed not only at boosting public nutritional intake but also at stimulating the market for the domestic livestock industry.
“The market is ready, stable, and growing,” the minister said.
Elaborating further, he pointed out that implementing the MBG program had prompted Indonesia to prepare an estimate of 1.5 million liters of milk and 47 thousand tonnes of beef by 2029, opening new avenues for prospective investors.
He went on to say that the government had set a target of meeting 96 percent of milk needs from domestic production—a sharp rise from the current 21 percent—while ensuring that 70 percent of beef demand is met at home.
The government, he added, has decided to facilitate the inflow of dairy cows to boost national milk output but noted that crucial challenges persist in the industry.
Pambudy highlighted that more than 90 percent of livestock ranches are still managed by smallholders, coupled with issues stemming from gaps in the breeding system, limited resources, costly feed, and livestock illness risks.
With that in view, he said the government seeks collaboration with business and academic communities to raise quality and productivity, including developing a genomic tech-based breeding method to nurture more resilient and productive livestock.
He also urged national business actors to invest in research and development for the livestock industry, expanding their role beyond entrepreneurship.
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Translator: Ahmad M, Tegar Nurfitra