Prabowo Reveals Why Other Countries Are Learning MBG from Indonesia

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - President of the Republic of Indonesia Prabowo Subianto has revealed the reasons why many other countries are learning about the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) programme from Indonesia. Prabowo indicated that, apart from China, only Indonesia is capable of providing free meals to 60 million people five times a week. “Many countries are now learning MBG from us. Where is there a country that can feed more than 60 million people, right? Five times a week, with meals delivered to pregnant mothers, and to helpless elderly people with meals delivered. Show me which country? Maybe China, but we know China has already taken off ahead of us,” Prabowo stated during the groundbreaking ceremony for 13 downstreaming projects in phase 2 in Cilacap, Central Java, on Wednesday (29/4/2026). Furthermore, Prabowo mentioned that MBG will be continued until completion. However, he acknowledged that many parties are afraid of MBG’s success. “But we have already felt its benefits. Farmers whose harvests were previously not bought, when they harvested mangoes, the mangoes were not taken, they rotted in the orchards, harvests not absorbed. Middlemen came and slashed prices. It is impossible for our people to prosper; now we are changing that. Almost all farmers and fishermen now have market guarantees through off-take,” he explained.