Jakarta (ANTARA) - The number of beneficiaries of the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program rose by 373,531 over the past week, the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) informed on Monday.
“Over the past week, the total number of MBG beneficiaries rose by 373,531. They include students across various educational levels,” BGN spokesperson Reddy Hendra said at a virtual press conference held by the Presidential Communication Office, which was followed online from Jakarta.
He added that as many as 1,861 special kitchens, or nutrition fulfillment service units (SPPGs), have been made operational under the program to produce and supply nutritious food to 5,582,470 residents across Indonesia.
Hendra said that the meal recipients include 321,702 children at early childhood education institutions and kindergartens, 2.483 million elementary school students, 1,534,442 junior high school students, and 1,169,979 students at senior high and vocational high schools.
The MBG program, he added, is also covering 27,760 pesantren (Islamic boarding school) students, 10,319 children at special education schools, 802 seminary students, 15,780 pregnant women, 26,504 breastfeeding mothers, and 74,999 toddlers.
“It is worth noting that SPPGs are now receiving raw materials supplied by an additional 253 business entities, including cooperatives, village-run enterprises, and also micro, small, and medium enterprises,” he informed.
He highlighted that the number of workers absorbed by the MBG program has reached 75,325, or up 2,804 compared to the previous week.
He further said that the program is running during the ongoing school holiday period, adding that meal packages -- consisting of ready-to-eat and packaged foods -- are being distributed on Mondays and Thursdays.
He affirmed that the BGN is committed to strictly using eco-friendly or reusable packaging for the program during the holiday to support the government’s push for plastic waste reduction.
