It is necessary to work on creating alternatives to products included in the reserve list - Pashinyan
YEREVAN, February 19. /ARКА/. It is necessary to work on creating alternatives to products included in the reserve list, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on Tuesday.
According to the government press service, Pashinyan held a meeting dedicated to the implementation of the Action Plan for the Development of the Food Security System for 2023-2026.
Pashinyan noted that it is necessary to act as flexibly as possible in matters of ensuring stocks of material reserves, and stressed the importance of stimulating local production.
The Action Plan for 2023-2026 includes 50 measures related to the availability, use, and sustainability of food supplies.
Accordingly, the target indicators are the availability of a minimum food basket for all groups of the population, the availability of stocks of material reserves, and self-sufficiency.
It was noted that work is underway with the UN Food and Agriculture Organization to develop a minimum food basket by age groups based on international standards of consumption and energy value.
In general education schools and universities, events are organized to inform students about the principles of a balanced diet and the choice of safe food products. Within the framework of the "Hot Meals" program, about 105,259 primary school students in 1,060 general education schools and 4,114 preschoolers in 10 marzes have been provided with hot meals since 2023.
It was noted that within the framework of the program to ensure the availability and sustainability of food until 2027, state support is provided to large investment projects.
During the discussion, current problems in the field of food security and possible steps to address them were touched upon.
Earlier, Secretary of the Security Council Armen Grigoryan said that rice could become a strategic commodity in Armenia instead of wheat, most of which is imported from Russia. According to him, when thinking about the country's security, one should take into account not only the defense aspect, but also goods of strategic importance. -0-
