Phase 2 Assistance Launched, ID FOOD: Stunting Risk Family Will Get Eggs And Chicken Meat In The Next 3 Months

Photo: Doc. ID FOOD

JAKARTA - The government continues to distribute food assistance for handling stunting for the next 2 to 3 months. This step is taken to support the acceleration of stunting reduction and maintain stability in egg prices, especially at the small independent farmer level.

The statement was made by the President Director of ID FOOD Frans Marganda Tambunan, after accompanying the working visit of the President of the Republic of Indonesia to review rice stocks and distribution of food aid at the Bulog Dramaga and Kelapa Gading warehouses, in Jakarta, Monday, September 11.

According to him, the distribution of the second phase will begin on September 11, 2023, today for the next 3 months in 7 provinces, namely Banten, West Java, Central Java, East Java, North Sumatra, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), and West Sulawesi.

"Today we are also launching the second phase of assistance for stunting treatment. Earlier we started from West Java Province, in Bogor Regency and City, to be precise in Babakan Dramaga Village and Katulampa Village, East Bogor. After the launch, distribution will be carried out in 7 provinces soon," he said.

In the second stage of launching, assistance was distributed to 153 Families of Stunting Risk (KRS) in Katulampa Village, Bogor City and 85 KRS in Babakan Dramaga Village, Bogor Regency.

"For West Java itself, in this second stage, 406,579 KRS have been registered. For the most KRS in the Java region, of course, namely West Java, Central Java, East Java," he said.

Frans explained that the distribution of this second phase of stunting management assistance is exactly the same as the first stage, where assistance will be distributed to 1.4 million KRS in 7 provinces.

"Similar to the first stage, each KRS will receive a food aid package of 1 head in the form of a carcass measuring about 1 kg and 1 chicken egg tray or as many as 10 eggs every month for the next 3 months. The budget is from the National Food Agency of approximately 400 billion," he explained.

Furthermore, Frans hopes that this program in addition to contributing significantly to the reduction in stunting rates can also have a positive impact in maintaining egg price stability at the small independent farmer level, both layer breeders and broilers as directed by the President.

"With this program, the absorption of eggs and chicken meat at farmers can be carried out regularly at a stable price because we buy according to the reference price set by the government even though the market price drops. So there is a guarantee that their prices will still be at their prices," he explained.

"We are also committed that the source of eggs and chickens is absorbed from independent breeders, not from large companies. We are working with cooperative groups of around 50 more and hundreds of farmers in accordance with the provinces of North Sumatra, Banten, West Java, Central Java, East Java, then West Sulawesi, and NTT. On average, farmers have partnered since the first phase," he said.

Furthermore, Frans said, to maintain product quality and sustainability of absorption, his party through PT Berdikari, PT Perusahaan Perdagangan Indonesia, and PT Rajawali Nusindo member of ID FOOD went down directly to select and absorb eggs and chicken meat to farmers.

"Currently we are compiling a planning with the National Food Agency so that this (program) continues not to break up, so there is also certainty for families of stunting risk and their breeders. This step is part of efforts to strengthen the national livestock ecosystem," he said.

Meanwhile, Deputy 2 for Food and Nutrition Insecurity at the National Food Agency, Nyoto Suwignyo, while attending the launching and handing over of the second phase of stunting handling food assistance in Bogor Regency, said that the same as the previous stage, this second phase of assistance was distributed based on KRS data sourced from the National Population and Family Planning Agency (BKKBN). The data is updated every month, so the data used is updated data.

He also emphasized that this food aid can be utilized as well as possible, especially for pregnant women, toddlers, and children during their growth period.