The first phase of providing the strategic stock of ration items and animal fodder has been accomplished, the Ministry of Economy and Commerce (MEC) announced yesterday.
MEC had announced the initiative in November last year. During the first phase, MEC has built up a strategic stock of rice enough for 10 months’ consumption, sugar for nine months, and powdered milk and cooking oil for four and a half months.
As for animal fodder, MEC has stocked enough quantity for six months consumption and three months for other types. Towards this end, MEC has provided adequate storage spaces, some for fodder and others for ration items, with an overall space of 107,446sqm.
MEC has also been keen to take into consideration current and future needs of such items and the expiry dates of these products, besides their high quality according
to global standards.
The second phase would guarantee the increase of the stock and storage space, besides encouraging more investors to enter the distribution business of these items. Currently, there are 94 distributors of ration and fodder products across the country. These include 82 distributors of ration products and seven for fodder and four for both.
Meanwhile, MEC announced that starting from May all fodder allocations will be distributed in two experimental batches. MEC is currently working on a new strategy to closely monitor such process in collaboration with the entities concerned to guarantee that fodder and ration allocations reach the targeted categories of consumers.