Jakarta, Nov. 17 -- Indonesia will ramp up protein production to support its Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program, which is set to begin in 2026 and target 82.9 million beneficiaries, Coordinating Minister for Food Zulkifli Hasan said on Monday.

Speaking at the International Sustainable Rice Forum (ISRF) 2025, Hasan said the program will require a sharp rise in national output of eggs, fish, poultry, vegetables, and fruit after years of growth focused mainly on carbohydrate crops.

He noted that providing one egg per beneficiary per day would require 82.9 million eggs daily next year.

To meet demand, the government plans to build large-scale fish farms covering about 20,000 hectares in Java and expand aquaculture across 500 districts and...