BKKBN: 18 Palm Oil Companies in Riau Became Foster Fathers of Stunted Children

Indragiri Hulu Regent Rezita Meylani Yopi opened a coordination meeting related to stunting through the BAAS program in Indragiri Hulu, South Kalimantan, Wednesday, February 15. (Between/HO- Humas BKKBN Riau Province)

JAKARTA - As many as 18 palm oil companies in Indragiri Hulu (Inhu) Regency, Riau, have agreed to work together to become Foster Fathers of Stunting Children (BAAS). This effort will accelerate the reduction in the prevalence of stunting or malnutrition that triggers stunting by 2023.

"The prevalence of stunting in Indragiri Hulu Regency in 2021 is at 23.6 per cent, down by 6.9 in 2022 to 16.7 per cent, this is an encouraging undertaking", said the Head of BKKBN Representative for Riau Province, Mardalena Wati Yulia, in Inhu, Riau, Wednesday 15 February, confiscated by Antara.

She said this at the Coordination Meeting for the Acceleration of Stunting Reduction through the BAAS program in Inhu District in 2023.

Mardalena said that her party appreciated the efforts of the Inhu Regency Government together with the related Regional Apparatus Organization (OPD) and the local community to reduce the prevalence of stunting in the area.

Meanwhile, based on the results of supervision stunting was caused by malnutrition for a long time, most of which occurred due to economic factors.

"Inhu Regency's success in reducing the prevalence of stunting in 2022, namely to 16.7 per cent, should be appreciated because of the willingness of ladies and gentlemen to commit together to carry out a program to accelerate the reduction of stunting", she said.

However, she said again, assistance through the BAAS program from companies given to families at risk of stunting cannot be manufactured food, but must be in the form of animal protein, such as fish, eggs, and chicken pieces.

Inhu Regent Rezita Meylani Yopi said the success of reducing the prevalence of stunting to 16.7 per cent in Inhu was the hard work of the Inhu district government and OPD and other parties together.

"However, there is a new challenge for Inhu, namely how to carry out further efforts to reduce the stunting rate to even lower levels according to President Jokowi's target of 14 per cent in 2024", she said.

Because of that, his party hopes that several companies operating in Inhu will make a joint commitment to synergize to accelerate the reduction in the prevalence of stunting through the BAAS program. The aim is to provide a more significant effect on accelerating the reduction in the prevalence of stunting in Inhu.

"Therefore, interventions to accelerate the reduction of stunting prevalence aside from the government also all parties need to work together. I invite all stakeholders to be determined to make efforts to accelerate the reduction of stunting to create a quality generation", said Rezita.

The company that signed the joint commitment is PT. Bintang Riau Prosperous, PT. Sumber Kencana Indo Palma, PT. Talam Jerinjing Palm, PT. Persada Agro Sawita, PT. Regunas Agri Utama, PT. Sugih Riesta Jaya, PT. Sumatra Makmur Lestari, PT. Tunggal Perkasa Plantations, PT. Ganarea Hendana, PT. Pasirmas Giri Raya, PT. Prima Agro Sawit Indo, PT. Sustainable Palm Oil, PT. Seko Indah, PT. Sumber Sawindo Kencana, PT. Arvena Agreed, PT. Bagas Indah Perkasa, and PT. Berlian Inti Mekar and PTPN V.

Apart from that, they are willing to become BAAS, Bank Riau Kepri Syariah, and Bank Negara Indonesia.