Jakarta, Oct. 16 -- Indonesia is developing specialized "thematic villages" to support the national free nutritious meals program and drive rural economic growth, a senior official said on Thursday.

The initiative focuses on building food-producing villages based on local potential, such as catfish, tilapia, and poultry farming, to strengthen the government's Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) initiative.

"We're creating villages focused on egg-laying chickens, catfish, tilapia, and broiler chickens to support the National Nutrition Agency," Minister of Villages and Development of Disadvantaged Regions Yandri Susanto said.

Speaking at an economic forum marking one year of the Prabowo-Gibran administration, Susanto said the program also aligns...