Southwest Papua backs broader free meals rollout under Sudaryono

hartono · Jul 23, 2026

Southwest Papua backs broader free meals rollout under Sudaryono

Southwest Papua Deputy Governor Ahmad Nasrau. (ANTARA/Yuvensius Lasa Banafanu)

Sorong (ANTARA) - The Southwest Papua provincial government voiced hope that new leadership at the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) would help extend the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program to more underdeveloped, frontier, and outermost (3T) regions.

“The change in leadership represents part of an evaluation aimed at improving the implementation of the Free Nutritious Meals program, in line with the president’s policy direction,” Southwest Papua Deputy Governor Ahmad Nasrau said in Sorong on Thursday.

He made the statement after President Prabowo Subianto installed former deputy agriculture minister Sudaryono as head of the BGN at the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta the previous day, replacing Nanik S. Deyang, who resigned due to health reasons.

Nasrau expressed confidence that the president had taken a wide range of key aspects into consideration before appointing a new helmsman for the agency to ensure the MBG program continues running well.

Chairing the province’s MBG task force, he emphasized his administration's readiness to accelerate implementation of the national priority program for people across Southwest Papua.

“Our hope is that residents in 3T areas who have yet to access MBG services will soon be able to benefit from the program,” Nasrau remarked.

The deputy governor further acknowledged the program has not yet covered all targeted recipients in the province, citing ongoing preparatory work.

He reiterated support for the program, describing it as a strategic instrument to improve children’s nutritional intake as part of efforts to enhance human resource quality across Papuan communities.

Data from the BGN showed the MBG program had reached nearly 80,000 people across four of the province’s six regions: 49,970 in Sorong City, 13,289 in Sorong District, 10,637 in Raja Ampat District, and 6,624 in South Sorong District.

Meanwhile, implementation in Tambrauw and Maybrat districts remains under preparation.