“There is enough food, but the risks are growing”: Svyrydenko urged retail chains to prioritize Ukrainian products
20 January 20:27
Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko has called on Ukrainian retail chains to give greater priority to Ukrainian food products. She made this statement following a meeting with representatives of food producers’ associations, during which they discussed business operations amid limited energy supplies.
Svyrydenko reported this on her Telegram channel, according to "Komersant Ukrainian".
According to the head of government, supporting Ukrainian producers is not only an economic issue but also a matter of the state’s overall resilience amid the war and regular attacks on energy infrastructure.
“This is a matter of the overall resilience of our economy. I have instructed the Ministry of Economy to develop additional measures to support producers in this regard,” the prime minister stated.
Supplies and Production: The Food Situation
Svyrydenko emphasized that the food situation in Ukraine is currently under control. According to her, existing reserves are sufficient, and the production capacity of enterprises exceeds domestic consumption.
At the same time, the government acknowledges the risks to the stable operation of the food industry due to possible emergency power outages.
The Prime Minister instructed the State Emergency Service to develop a mechanism for providing short-term power supply to enterprises producing basic food products in the event of sudden outages.
She also drew attention to the issue of backup power generation. The Ministry of Energy and the NEURC must immediately ensure the connection and launch of power generation facilities that manufacturers already own but have not yet put into operation.
“The government has adopted all necessary decisions for this,” Svyrydenko emphasized.
Reserves and Food Distribution Points
The State Emergency Service will also strengthen coordination with producers in the regions to build up operational food reserves. These can be used if it becomes necessary to quickly set up food distribution points for the public.
Earlier, the State Emergency Service reported that in emergency situations, the agency is already deploying mobile kitchens so that citizens can receive free hot meals.
