Kupang, Aug. 1 -- The government envisions the Red and White Village Cooperatives program as a strategic means to boost Indonesian farmers' incomes and shield them from predatory middlemen, Coordinating Minister for Food Zulkifli Hasan stated.

"The village cooperative program is aimed at combating middlemen in villages," he affirmed during a review of a Red and White Village Cooperative in East Penfui Village, Kupang District, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) Province, on Friday.

Highlighting the program's significance, he noted that predatory middlemen often exploit rural, economically vulnerable farmers by offering fertilizers in exchange for an unfair share of their harvests.

Accompanied by NTT Governor Melki Laka Lena, the minister highlig...