Prabowo Says MBG Programme Has Positive Impact on Farmers and Fishermen

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - President Prabowo Subianto stated that farmers and fishermen are benefiting from the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) programme. With the MBG programme in place, the produce from farmers and fishermen now has assured market access. “Farmers whose harvests previously went unsold. For example, during mango season, they were not picked and rotted in the orchards. Harvests were not absorbed, middlemen came and slashed prices. It is impossible for our people to prosper like that. Now we are changing it; almost all farmers and fishermen have market guarantees,” Prabowo said during the groundbreaking ceremony for 13 National Downstreaming Projects Phase II in Cilacap, Central Java, on Wednesday (29/4/2026), quoted from the YouTube broadcast of the Presidential Secretariat. Although there are still various shortcomings in the implementation of the MBG programme, the government will continue to evaluate and improve it to optimise its benefits. “In every village, there is an SPPG, there is a kitchen. If there are deficiencies, we address them. On a broad scale, this programme is reviving the economy. One kitchen creates 50 jobs. If 30,000 kitchens are operational later, that means 1.5 million people employed,” Prabowo said. In addition, he conveyed that the MBG programme has reached more than 60 million beneficiaries and has become a global focus. “Brothers and sisters, let us not be a nation with low self-esteem. Many countries are now learning MBG from us. Where is there a country that can feed more than 60 million people five times a week?” Prabowo said. On that occasion, Prabowo emphasised the government’s commitment to channeling the nation’s wealth back to the people through various strategic programmes, such as MBG. “We have already produced MBG (for) tens of millions (of people). And we will continue until it is complete. We solve many deficiencies, but we are already feeling the benefits,” Prabowo said.