President Prabowo Subianto, during the official inauguration of the Merah Putih Village Cooperative Program in Bentangan Village, Klaten Regency, Central Java, emphasized the significance of the initiative in empowering rural communities and eradicating exploitative middlemen and loan sharks that have long exploited farmers. Reflecting on his experience as Chairman of the Indonesian Farmers Harmony Association (HKTI) in 2004, President Prabowo highlighted the challenges faced by farmers, such as post-harvest losses due to inadequate logistics and storage facilities. He also mentioned the difficulties in accessing subsidized fertilizer, hindered by bureaucratic processes. The President denounced the exploitation of farmers by middlemen, who manipulate prices and force farmers to resort to loan sharks for urgent cash needs. The establishment of the Merah Putih Village Cooperatives is seen as a transformative step towards breaking the cycle of exploitation that has plagued farmers for generations, aiming to bring about positive change and economic independence for rural communities.
President Prabowo’s Merah Putih Village Cooperatives: Ending Middlemen & Loan Sharks
