President Prabowo Subianto, in his speech during the inauguration of the Merah Putih Village Cooperative Program in Bentangan Village, Klaten Regency, emphasized the importance of this initiative. The program aims to not only enhance the economic independence of the people but also to eradicate exploitative practices by middlemen and loan sharks that have long disadvantaged rural farmers.
Prabowo highlighted the issues faced by farmers, such as the lack of trucks and proper storage facilities leading to post-harvest losses. He also mentioned the challenges in accessing subsidized fertilizers due to bureaucratic hurdles. The President also addressed the manipulation of prices by middlemen and the burden of high-interest rates from loan sharks faced by farmers in urgent need of cash for daily expenses.
The Merah Putih Village Cooperatives are seen as a transformative step to break the cycle of exploitation that has affected farmers for generations. Prabowo emphasized the need for bold and decisive action to bring about change and empower farmers in the country. He stressed the importance of thinking big and acting boldly to tackle these deep-rooted problems.
