Jakarta, Jan. 14 -- The National Nutrition Agency (BGN) is encouraging the business sector to play a more active role in supplying raw materials for the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) program, as the initiative continues to expand rapidly nationwide.

Speaking at the MBG Outlook event in Jakarta on Wednesday, BGN Deputy for Systems and Governance Tigor Pangaribuan said the main challenge ahead is ensuring the availability of food in large quantities without triggering inflation.

"Annual rice demand alone could reach up to 3 million tons, while each kitchen will require an average of 6 tons of vegetables per month," he said.

Pangaribuan noted that the massive demand for raw materials is driven by the program's rapid growth over a short perio...