ID FOOD Collaborates With BTN To Cooperate In Handling Stunting

JAKARTA - To support the government's efforts to maintain food security, PT Rajawali Nusantara Indonesia (Persero) or Food SOE Holding ID FOOD is committed to continuing to contribute to maintaining the availability and supply of strategic food through collaboration with a number of stakeholders.

President Director of ID FOOD Sis Apik Wijayanto through his statement, quoted on Thursday, July 25. said, to accelerate this, one of the strategic steps taken is to collaborate with banking actors.

"Today we are collaborating with BTN regarding the support for stunting prevention which is a government program," he said after witnessing the signing of the cooperation between ID FOOD and BTN.

According to Sis Apik, banking support is needed to support the distribution of stunting handling assistance in 2024, It is hoped that this effort can accelerate the distribution of aid, thus assisting government programs in reducing stunting prevalence rates in Indonesia.

"We welcome the synergy between ID FOOD and BTN. This collaboration will be focused on assistance for the Stunting Risk Family (KRS). This is in line with the enthusiasm of the two companies that are actively implementing various stunting prevention programs," he said.

Currently, the distribution of the stunting assistance program run by ID FOOD has entered its second year. Distribution efforts will continue to be gradually increased in order to meet the distribution target to 1,446,089 Families Prone to Stunting (KRS) in 7 provinces in Indonesia.

This stunting management assistance program was held in order to help the success of the government's program to reduce stunting prevalence as stated in Presidential Regulation 72/2021 concerning the Acceleration of Stunting Reduction. In this program, each stunting-prone family will receive one package containing 10 eggs and 1 kg of frozen chicken meat (frozens) three times," he explained.

Furthermore, Sis Apik revealed, accelerating the implementation of strategic food programs will continue to be carried out not only for chicken eggs and chicken meat. Considering that in 2024 ID FOOD will run a number of food programs, including maintaining stocks and supply of 10 strategic food commodities consisting of consumption sugar, beef, buffalo meat, chicken meat, chicken eggs, cooking oil, garlic, shallots, chilies, and fish.

ID FOOD has won the trust of the government, in this case from the National Food Bandan to implement various strategic food programs such as the distribution of food assistance in handling stunting and managing stocks and supply of 10 commodities. So strong support is needed both in terms of funding, regulation, and technical and non-technical support. Cross-stakeholder collaboration is the key so that its implementation is right on target and sustainable," he explained.

To ensure that the implementation of the strategic food program runs better this year, Sis Apik said, his party has made improvements including improving storage infrastructure, increasing collaboration and partnership with food business actors (farms, breeders, fishermen, and MSMEs), digitizing and utilizing technology for monitoring and accelerating and efficiency processes, and training for increasing human resource capacity.

"We will also continue to strengthen the Fundamental ID FOOD as a corporation. This is a big and important task related to the basic needs of the community, namely food," he said.

Meanwhile, Head of the National Food Agency (NFA) Arief Prasetyo Adi appreciated the collaboration between ID FOOD and BTN. According to him, funding support from BTN as a banking entity can have a significant impact on the implementation of the food assistance program run by ID FOOD.

This good step can maintain the fulfillment of food needs and community nutrition, especially families of stunting risk. This will certainly contribute to strengthening food security," he explained.

In the future, of course, the implementation of this stunting management program will continue to be improved. Given that this program is strategic, both in terms of meeting the nutritional needs of the community, especially to prepare the next generation, as well as a form of downstreaming of livestock production, so that it can help maintain the stability of chicken eggs and chicken meat at the farmer level.

Arief said that this stunting management program will continue to be encouraged and improve its implementation. For this reason, of course, it requires even wider cross-sectoral support and collaboration, both in terms of funding, regulation, and production.