Indonesia to Launch Thousands of Kitchens for Free Meals Program Starting in January
- Beritabaru.co
- 10 Oktober 2024
- Subscribe
Berita Baru, Jakarta – Indonesia is set to open thousands of kitchens nationwide next year as part of the incoming government’s multi-billion dollar free meals initiative, aimed at tackling malnutrition across the country. The program, led by President-elect Prabowo Subianto, will begin in January 2024, according to Dadan Hindayana, head of the national nutrition agency overseeing the effort.
Reporting from the Reuters page published on Tuesday (8/10/2024), Prabowo, who will be sworn in as Indonesia’s next president on October 20, plans to provide meals to approximately 20 million students in the first phase of the initiative, with an estimated cost of 71 trillion rupiah ($4.54 billion). Once fully operational, the program will expand to serve 83 million recipients, including pregnant mothers, with an annual budget of around $28 billion.
Hindayana revealed that at least 5,000 kitchens, referred to as “service units,” will be established next year, with a target to increase this number to 30,000 by 2027. “The unit will not only operate as a kitchen but also have a role as a buyer for local agriculture products,” he said during an investment forum on Tuesday, adding that the initiative is expected to create over one million new jobs.
The program will require a substantial amount of food. For the first year alone, it is estimated that the kitchens will need 312,000 metric tonnes of rice, 546,000 metric tonnes of chicken or 4.68 billion eggs, 936 million liters of milk, and 546,000 metric tonnes of vegetables, based on data provided by the agency. Each kitchen, serving around 3,000 children, will consume 200 kilograms of rice, 350 kilograms of chicken or 3,000 eggs, 600 liters of milk, and 350 kilograms of vegetables daily.
Hindayana emphasized that the food for the program will primarily be sourced from local farmers, with menus tailored according to availability. The initiative is expected to not only address nutrition but also boost local agricultural economies.
