JAKARTA - The Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) program is considered to provide wide benefits for the community. In addition to helping meet the nutritional needs of schoolchildren, pregnant women, nursing mothers, and toddlers, this program also encourages local economic circulation and improves the welfare of farmers.
Chairman of the HKTI, Major General TNI (Ret.) Dr. Bachtiar Utomo, S.I.P., M.A.P., said that MBG is a program that has a direct impact on the quality of human resources while providing economic benefits for the community.
"The Free Nutritious Meal program is very good for helping meet the nutritional needs of schoolchildren. This program also supports pregnant women and toddlers so that it can help reduce stunting rates and improve public health," he said in a written statement, Friday, June 5.
According to Bachtiar, the large demand for food to support the implementation of MBG also increases the absorption of agricultural, livestock, and fisheries products. This condition opens up wider market opportunities for local farmers and food business actors.
"The higher the food needs for the MBG program, the greater the production results of farmers absorbed. The impact is certainly very positive for farmers' income and welfare," he said.
In addition to increasing the absorption of agricultural products, the MBG program also has the potential to create new jobs in various regions. The need for labor in the process of providing food, food processing, distribution, to kitchen operations is an economic opportunity that can be felt directly by the local community.
This program also has a multiplier effect on the regional economy because it involves farmers, livestock farmers, fishermen, MSMEs, to service business actors in the national food supply chain.
"This program not only provides nutritious food to the community, but also stimulates the local economy. There are farmers whose crops are absorbed, SMEs that are growing, and jobs that are created," explained Bachtiar.
HKTI believes that the Free Nutritious Meal Program can be one of the important instruments in building a healthy and strong Indonesian generation, as well as strengthening national food security and regional economies.
"This is a long-term investment for the nation. Children get good nutrition, farmers are getting more prosperous, the regional economy is moving, and ultimately national food security is getting stronger," he concluded.
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