inp.polri.go.id - Jakarta. Coordinating Minister for Food Zulkifli Hasan, famously called Zulhas, stated that the Merah Putih Village Cooperative (Kopdes Merah Putih) will serve as a tool for the government to conduct market operations aimed at maintaining the stability of affordable staple food prices and controlling inflation.

"Kopdes will be under the government infrastructure. So now, if we operate the SPHP market, the profits will go to the Kopdes," said the Coordinating Minister for Food on Saturday (8/2/2025).

He explained that the number of village cooperatives, which has reached more than 80,000 units throughout Indonesia, will facilitate the government's efforts to provide affordable food to the community.

In addition to market operations, Kopdes Merah Putih can also receive government assistance in the form of agricultural equipment, tractors, and rice harvesting equipment.

"We provide all kinds of assistance to the village cooperatives so they can rent out the equipment to generate income for the village cooperatives," said Zulhas.

Kopdes Merah Putih is an economic institution whose members are from the village or sub-district community, formed to improve welfare through the principles of mutual cooperation, kinship, and collective participation.

The initiative to establish village cooperatives aims to improve the economic welfare of village communities through a people-centered economic approach based on the principles of mutual cooperation, kinship, and mutual assistance.

Based on data from the Ministry of Cooperatives and SMEs, of the 83,762 villages/sub-districts in Indonesia, the number of Red and White Village Cooperatives (Kopdes Merah Putih) currently stands at 81,147 units spread across the archipelago.

Zulhas urged regional heads to engage in regular weekly dialogue with village heads regarding Kopdes Merah Putih to enhance the understanding and insight of village cooperative administrators.

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