JAKARTA, May 24 (Xinhua) -- Indonesia's Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program has reached more than 62.4 million beneficiaries nationwide, covering schoolchildren, toddlers, pregnant women, and breastfeeding mothers, according to recent government data released on Saturday.

The government continued expanding the program to strengthen national nutrition resilience and improve human resource quality from an early age, said a statement by the National Nutrition Agency.

Students accounted for the largest share of recipients, which is at 48.35 million people, representing 76.1 percent of Indonesia's national students, the agency said.

The agency said participation by local businesses has helped stimulate regional economic activity while supporting national food security.

Since its launch on Jan. 6, 2025, the program has distributed 8.3 billion meal portions through around 29,000 operational nutrition service units across Indonesia.

According to the data, the initiative has covered more than 370,000 schools and engaged more than 1.28 million workers in meal preparation and distribution, while involving over 142,000 suppliers, including small and medium-sized enterprises, cooperatives and village-owned businesses. ■