Sudaryono Appointed Head of National Nutrition Agency, Vows to Leverage Agricultural Insight for Free Meals Programme

Sudaryono has confirmed his appointment as the new Head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) by President Prabowo Subianto, stating he is thoroughly familiar with the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) programme. The former Deputy Minister of Agriculture (Wamentan) said he has followed the president’s priority programme from its initial discussion as campaign material through to its implementation after Prabowo’s inauguration. “If I were asked, I know it precisely. Because during the campaign, one of the materials was free nutritious meals. Furthermore, from the agricultural side, we are also a very interested party in this MBG, regarding the supply chain and how this affects our farmers, our livestock breeders, and our fishermen,” Sudaryono said when met at the Ministry of Agriculture office in Jakarta on Wednesday (22/7/2026).

He explained that his knowledge of MBG extends beyond the programme’s concept to include its impact on the agriculture, livestock, and fisheries sectors, which are the main suppliers of food needs. The Ministry of Agriculture has also been continuously monitoring the impact of MBG implementation on food commodities, from egg prices to chicken, to ensure the programme’s benefits can be felt while simultaneously driving the domestic agricultural sector.

Sudaryono confirmed he received the appointment information via a phone call from Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya. He stated that he will relinquish his position as Deputy Minister of Agriculture, as holding concurrent positions is not permitted. Minister of State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi confirmed that Sudaryono’s appointment as Head of BGN is definitive, not as an acting official, and that the government has no immediate plans to appoint a new Deputy Minister of Agriculture.