Village Co-ops in Central Java Built in Poor Locations, Official Suggests Turning Mountain Site into a Café

The acting head of the Cooperatives and SMEs Office for Central Java, Desy Arijani, has acknowledged that a number of Kopdes Merah Putih (KDKMP) village cooperatives in the province have been built in locations deemed less than representative. She noted that it would be the task of the KDKMP managers to develop businesses from these cooperative units. Desy revealed that her office was not involved in determining the construction sites for the KDKMP buildings. The site selection was carried out through village consultations, while the construction was executed by PT Agrinas Pangan Nusantara in cooperation with the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI). “We only found out through social media that some are on hilltops, some are in cemeteries. We were not involved in the construction because it was PT Agrinas that partnered with the TNI to build them,” Desy said during an interview at her office on Wednesday. She explained that to build a KDKMP, each village or sub-district had to prepare a 1,000-square-metre plot of land, with 600 square metres specifically for the building. Desy noted that not all villages, particularly in Central Java, have land that meets these qualifications. She suggested this could be the reason why some KDKMP buildings are located in less strategic spots. She expressed hope that the managers would still be able to innovate and develop the cooperative’s business. “Even though the location is considered less than ideal or strategic, I hope the young people who become managers can bring out the potential,” Desy said. She cited the example of a Kopdes Merah Putih in Kediten Village, Plantungan District, Kendal Regency, which went viral for being located on the slopes of Mount Prau at an altitude of 1,385 metres above sea level. Desy suggested that a café business could be trialled there. “For example, a café for hanging out and drinking coffee, with different air and a different atmosphere, that could work. That is what we call local potential that must be developed,” she said.