At the meeting, the Food Minister said technical assistance from WFP is needed to formulate an integrated policy and standard operating procedure (SOP) to maintain the quality of rice stored in government food warehouses over the long term. In addition, an initiative has been taken to conduct an evaluation study at a cost of USD 400,000 to 450,000 to verify the nutritional effectiveness of fortified rice distributed under food-friendly programmes, for which she expects financial support from the organisation. The minister also emphasised strategic stock management in disaster response.
In response, WFP Country Director Coco Ushiyama assured continued support in Bangladesh's food security, strategic stock management and school feeding programme under the next five-year plan. She advised preparing a detailed concept note for the fortified rice research. Food Secretary Abu Taher Mohammad Masud Rana, Director General of the Department of Food Md. Jashim Uddin Khan and other relevant officials were present at the meeting.
Meanwhile, on the same day in the afternoon, Italian Ambassador to Bangladesh Antonio Alessandro paid a courtesy call on Food Minister Afroza Khanam. During the meeting, they discussed bilateral relations, food security and food grain storage.
