Lombok Zone – The Governor of West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), Lalu Muhamad Iqbal, has urged the Red and White Cooperative (Kopdes) to play an essential role as a supplier of food items for the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) program in the region.
This call to action came during his visit to the Kopdes in Tegal Maja, located in Tanjung District, North Lombok, on the afternoon of February 25, 2026. Iqbal emphasized the significant economic opportunities that the local cooperatives can seize from this national program.
He highlighted the high demand for essential food supplies, such as eggs and meat, to support the MBG initiative in NTB. Currently, local egg producers can only meet about 30% of the region’s needs, with the remainder being imported from Java. With the MBG program set to increase the demand further, there is a risk that external supplies could become increasingly limited.
“Focus on supplying for MBG only. There is nearly 6 trillion IDR circulating in the MBG program. This presents a tremendous economic opportunity for our region,” stated Iqbal.
He noted that by 2026, funds circulating in NTB through this flagship program from President Prabowo Subianto would reach 5.7 trillion IDR, exceeding the NTB Regional Revenue and Expenditure Budget (APBD). Iqbal warned that the influx of central government funds should not flow out of the region due to NTB’s unpreparedness for being a supplier. He insists that local cooperatives must take the lead to ensure that the economic benefits are realized by the local community.
As the former Indonesian Ambassador to Turkey, he also mentioned that Bank NTB Syariah has allocated a Credit for People’s Business (KUR) budget of 30 billion IDR for cooperatives and small and medium enterprises (SMEs). This funding can be utilized by Kopdes to submit loan proposals as initial capital to establish livestock businesses capable of meeting the needs of the MBG.
“We are currently designing the credit distribution plan; Bank NTB is also open for KUR disbursement to ensure this program is directed and precise,” he explained. Iqbal added that once the business proposals are ready, cooperatives can promptly apply for loans from Bank NTB Syariah for swift capital disbursement.
Meanwhile, Martinom, the Chairman of Kopdes Tegal Maja, revealed that the cooperative is currently engaged in two types of businesses: rice and LPG sales. Following the governor’s directive, he acknowledged the substantial potential for livestock farming in his village. Currently, there are several broiler and layer chicken farms in operation, although funding challenges have hindered further business development.
“From the start, we have been eyeing the MBG potential. If we had been provided with soft funding early on, we could prioritize building chicken coops,” stated Martinom.
It is known that Kopdes Merah Putih Tegal Maja currently has 26 members, but interest from the community is high, with around 200 people wanting to join. In addition to funding constraints, the cooperative is also dealing with land issues for establishing their store. They hope these land issues can be resolved soon so that the cooperative can fully realize its business potential.
