inp.polri.go.id - Jakarta. The Vice Head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), Sony Sonjaya, stated that the Free Nutritious Meal Program (MBG) has the potential to be a major driver for transforming the national livestock sector.

The Vice Head of BGN stated that the government directly funds the procurement of raw food ingredients, including livestock products such as milk, meat, and eggs, used in every kitchen or Nutrition Fulfillment Service Unit (SPPG) through the MBG scheme.

"The funding of raw materials by the MBG creates demand certainty, thereby encouraging production and investment in the livestock sector," said Sony on Monday (3/30/2026).

Sony emphasized that the MBG will create a massive captive market for animal protein commodities. The program is projected to create multi-billion kilogram demand for milk and other livestock products, significantly reshaping the structure of the livestock and dairy industry in Indonesia.

In terms of production needs, he stated that the demand for the MBG is equivalent to adding approximately 800,000 dairy cows, 1.6 billion broiler chickens, and more than 70 million laying hens. This scale demonstrates the magnitude of the transformation that will occur in the national livestock sector.

"This is a major leap unprecedented in the history of Indonesian livestock development," emphasized Sony.

To achieve this, he highlighted several challenges that must be anticipated to optimally capitalize on this opportunity.

These challenges include increasing production capacity to meet surging demand, distribution issues and price disparities between regions, and food security issues.

Furthermore, dependence on imported feed ingredients and certain products is also a concern, along with the need to regenerate farmers and improve livestock breeder welfare to ensure the sector remains sustainable.

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