Badanas Boss: Free Nutrition Eating Program Able To Become An Economic Motorbike

Head of Badanas Arief Prasetyo Adi (Photo: Antara)

JAKARTA - The National Food Agency (Bapanas) is optimistic that the Free Nutrition Food (MBG) program promoted by the elected president Prabowo Subainto and the elected vice president Gibran Rakabuming Raka can move the economy.

"We want to thank the MBG program, this is certainly an economy that will move further. So, what was previously not a standby buyer or offtaker is certain, now it can be more certain," said Head of the National Food Agency (Bapanas) Arief Prasetyo Adi quoting Antara.

Arief said that integration between the upstream and downstream food sectors is important to maintain economic stability. With the MBG program, local farmers and breeders will get certainty about the absorption of their production results.

According to him, this step is important because previously there was a problem with excess production which caused a decline in food product prices. With the MBG, food stocks will be more controlled and well absorbed.

In addition to driving the economy, the MBG program is considered to be able to reduce food insecurity in certain areas. The impact will be seen on reducing stunting rates and improving community welfare.

"Especially if later the full speed is up to 82.5 million people per day, even up to twice per day. It's extraordinary, later the impact of the follow-up will be large. Areas prone to food risk can be reduced, the stunting rate can also decrease to 1 digit," he said.

Bapanas assessed the importance of maximizing local production potential through a more effective downstreaming and management of agricultural products for the MBG program.

According to data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) in 2023, the number of individual food crop farmers' businesses reached 15.7 million or 89 percent of the total 17.5 million. The rest are engaged in horticultural and plantation plants.

The average individual agricultural income in 2023 also experienced an escalation of up to 4 times compared to 2021. In 2023, according to BPS, the average individual agricultural business revenue in Indonesia is IDR 66.82 million per year.

Meanwhile, in 2021, the average individual agricultural business unit will earn IDR 15.41 million in revenue in a year.

"In the future, this is not a transition of government, but this is sustainability. We at the National Food Agency today support and assist the National Nutrition Agency, for example in preparing SOTK (Organization and Governance Structure)," explained Arief.

Badanas supports the MBG program so that it does not only focus on one type of protein source, but also pays attention to local food wisdom. This program is expected to provide variations in the provision of nutritious food.

"It already exists in Presidential Decree Number 81 of 2024. So when it provides nutritious food, it can be adjusted to local source. For example, in Eastern Indonesia, the source of protein is fish, it doesn't have to be meat," he explained.

Then, the optimization scheme for the production of local food wisdom will be able to provide certainty of production absorbed by government programs. It will also have an effect on the welfare of farmers.

"If you look at the Food Crop Farmer Exchange Rate (NTPP), Horticultural Farmer Exchange Rate (NTPH), and Livestock Farmer Exchange Rate (NTPT), so far the government can continue to keep the index trend at more than 100 points," he said.

He further said that the NTPP index has always been above 100 since October 2022, while NTPH since February 2022 has consistently been more than 100. Likewise, NTPT since March 2023.

"In 2024, the three indexes have recorded their culmination points in the last 2 years. In February 2024, the highest NTPP was recorded at 120.30 and the highest NTPH was in June 2024 at 125.66. While the highest NTPT was in June 2024 with 104.81," said Arief.

Arief added that the program can also provide opportunities for food SOEs to strengthen their role in maintaining government food reserves. Thus, excessive production can be absorbed by the government.