Semarang, July 27 -- Indonesia's 35,000 Red and White Village Cooperatives are expected to begin operations in September 2026, Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs Zulkifli Hasan said Monday.

"The cooperatives have been established, but they are not yet operational," Zulkifli told reporters in Semarang, Central Java.

Responding to criticism that one cooperative recorded only Rp78,000 in profit, equivalent to about US$4.80, he said the figure reflected its limited operations.

"Why did it make only Rp78,000 in profit? Because it has not started operating yet," he said.

Zulkifli said many people misunderstood the role of the Red and White Village Cooperatives.

"The Red and White Village Cooperative is not a supermarket," he said.

The...