Zulhas Admits Fishermen's Bargaining Power Remains Weak, Government Prepares Ice Factories to Market Access

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs Zulkifli Hasan has admitted that the bargaining position of Indonesian fishermen remains weak because their catch must be sold immediately even at low market prices. For this reason, the government is preparing the Kampung Nelayan Merah Putih (KNMP) programme to strengthen the fisheries business chain while increasing fishermen’s incomes. “The President is giving special attention to fishermen because their bargaining position has been weak for a long time,” said Zulhas during a visit to the KNMP in Lateng Village, Banyuwangi, on Thursday (14/5/2026). According to him, one of the main problems for fishermen is that the fish catch cannot be stored for too long without supporting facilities. To address this issue, the government is providing facilities including ice factories, cold storage, docks, fishermen’s workshops, cooperatives, financing access, and marketing routes as part of the KNMP programme. With these facilities, fishermen are expected no longer to be forced to sell fish when prices are low. “If the fish price is not yet appropriate, it can be stored first. If the market has not absorbed it, it can later be purchased for the Free Nutritious Meals programme,” said Zulhas. The government is also integrating fishermen’s catch with the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) programme so that fishermen have market certainty. During the visit, Zulhas inspected the KNMP facilities in Lateng, from portable ice factories and fishermen’s workshops to supply kiosks. He urged that all facilities be fully utilised to become the centre of fishermen’s economic activities and not just a development project. The KNMP in Lateng itself has 204 active fishermen and around 180 small vessels under 5 gross tons (GT). Its fisheries production reaches around 1,260 tonnes per year with an economic value of about Rp 31.5 billion. The government targets the construction of 5,000 Kampung Nelayan Merah Putih by 2029. By 2026, 1,369 KNMP are targeted to be completed in various regions.