The Minister of Economic Development and Trade, Mohamed Saeed, has stated that the government has tasked STO with supplying sufficient chicken and eggs to the Maldivian market. Chicken and eggs are two high-demand food items commonly consumed by Maldivians. Speaking at a press conference regarding the government’s efforts to ensure the availability of essential food items in the Maldives, Minister of Economic Development and Trade Mohamed Saeed said that the government is working on producing various food items that can be locally produced. Minister Saeed said that the President intends to have STO engage in poultry farming in different regions of the country. He added that within the scope of poultry farming, STO’s mandate specifically includes the task of supplying sufficient chicken and eggs to meet the market demand.
“The President envisions STO undertaking poultry farming in various regions of the country. Poultry farming, and within that, chicken and eggs are two items in high demand for consumption in the Maldives. Therefore, after determining the proportion that can be produced locally, STO has been given this mandate to maximize local production,” said Saeed. Minister Saeed stated that STO will carry out this work in different parts of the country in the near future. He also mentioned that in the long term, STO will work on establishing food security by acquiring suitable land outside the Maldives.
President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has decided that in addition to the traditionally designated staple foods such as rice, sugar, and flour, STO will import and sell in bulk the 10 most imported fruits, 10 most imported vegetables, along with onions, eggs, and potatoes in the Maldivian market. This decision was made by the government to prevent price increases in commonly consumed food items.
