Jakarta. President-elect Prabowo Subianto's proposed free nutritious meal program will leverage Indonesia's network of military district commands (Kodim) as pilot kitchens. The initiative, targeting millions of school children nationwide, also involves the recruitment of cooks by the Indonesia Defense University (IDU).

Gerindra Party politician Kamrussamad highlighted the program's wide-reaching impact during The Jakarta Globe’s 2025 Economic Perspective forum in Jakarta on Monday. "The government will utilize 313 Kodim as pilot kitchens for the free nutritious meal program. It's estimated that around 100 kitchens will be ready by September, with the program set to launch on Oct. 21, just a day after Prabowo's inauguration," he said.

Kamrussamad added that the IDU is tasked with recruiting and training the cooks, which will create new employment opportunities. The government also encourages the manufacturing industry to supply kitchen equipment for the program.

"The menu has been decided, and local farmers are expected to supply the ingredients. Microloan schemes can be used as the capital," Kamrussamad noted, adding that local transportation services will be engaged for delivery, with an app planned to monitor the distribution process.

Previously, the Agriculture Ministry announced the preparation of 1.5 million hectares of land for dairy farming to support the program, aiming to provide lunch and milk to students across Indonesia. This initiative includes importing 1.5 million dairy cows. The Ministry is currently mapping potential sites and collaborating with investors to facilitate the program.

The outgoing administration of President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo has allocated Rp 71 trillion ($4.3 billion) in the 2025 Draft State Budget for this initiative.

Trial runs for the free meal program are currently underway in several Indonesian elementary schools, with meals at SDN 4 Tangerang elementary school costing Rp 15,000 per portion. Prabowo plans to continue these trials until October to determine the most effective implementation strategy for this ambitious program, which aims to gradually reach 82.9 million students by 2029, with an estimated total budget of Rp 400 trillion.

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