Ten Village Associations Pledge Support for Free Nutritious Meals and Village Cooperative Programmes

Minister of Villages and Development of Disadvantaged Regions (Mendes PDT) Yandri Susanto and Deputy Minister Ahmad Riza Patria held a meeting with 10 village associations in the ministerial meeting room on Tuesday (23/6/2026). The ten associations comprised PAPDESI, APDESI Merah Putih, PP PPDI, APDESI, DPN PPDI, PABPDSI, ABPEDNAS, KOMPAKDESI, AKSI, and GEMA Desa. Yandri stated that the meeting discussed President Prabowo Subianto’s priority programmes, namely the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) and the Merah Putih Village/Sub-district Cooperatives (KDKMP). “The MBG and KDKMP programmes have encouraged the emergence of various thematic villages, such as melon villages, corn villages, rice villages, tilapia villages, broiler chicken villages, and layer chicken villages,” Yandri said in a statement on Tuesday (23/6/2026). Additionally, many Village-Owned Enterprises (BUMDes) are partnering with the Nutrition Fulfilment Service Units (SPPG) and the National Nutrition Agency (BGN). Yandri revealed that these two priority programmes have made it easier for rural communities to access nutritious food, such as eggs and chicken meat. “Since the introduction of MBG, thank God, they have felt the benefits. This includes the emergence of new economic growth centres, as well as the Merah Putih Village Cooperatives,” he said. Yandri stated that all attending village associations expressed their readiness to oversee the MBG and KDKMP programmes. He expressed hope that the KDKMP could become a locomotive for economic growth, a means of economic equalisation, and a new source of income for villages. The former Chairman of House Commission VIII also disclosed that 20 per cent of the cooperative’s net surplus would become the village’s own-source revenue, while the remaining 80 per cent would be returned to the village community. “This will also reduce unemployment in the villages because the workforce for the Kopdes will be sourced locally,” Yandri added. Meanwhile, PAPDESI Chairwoman Wargiyati, representing the 10 associations, firmly expressed support for the MBG and KDKMP programmes. She asserted that the Village Associations fully support the implementation of the Free Nutritious Meals programme because it has provided benefits to the community in realising the Golden Indonesia 2045 vision. They assessed that MBG has helped villagers, absorbed village labour as volunteers, and driven the formation of thematic villages such as melon, rice, tomato, broiler, and layer chicken villages to secure the supply chain. The programme is also seen as addressing the nutritional needs of vulnerable rural communities and schoolchildren, as well as pregnant and breastfeeding mothers, toddlers, and the elderly. “We, the Village Associations, fully support the Merah Putih Village/Sub-district Cooperative programme as a locomotive for driving the village economy, creating jobs, increasing family incomes, and eradicating poverty,” Wargiyati stated. She noted that the KDKMP has provided affordable basic goods to rural communities and expanded economic access. Given the strategic importance of the Free Nutritious Meals and KDKMP programmes, the associations urged the government to continue improving and refining their governance to ensure they run effectively, efficiently, and on target without irregularities. Also present to accompany the Minister were Secretary-General Taufik Madjid and senior officials from the Ministry of Villages and Development of Disadvantaged Regions.