President Dr. Irfaan Ali has announced the establishment of a coordinated purchasing system for eggs, chicken, beef and mutton, aimed at lowering prices for consumers while ensuring local farmers receive fair and predictable returns.
The initiative, which will be introduced as a pilot, will pool demand from public institutions and allow interested wholesalers and retailers to participate, creating larger and more predictable orders and strengthening purchasing power.
Under the system, participating retailers will be required to pass savings from lower wholesale prices on to consumers and adhere to agreed maximum mark-ups. The Government also intends to publish participating retailers and their maximum retail prices so consumers can identify where products are being sold at the agreed prices.
“We must bring prices down without weakening the people who produce our food. That is the balance we intend to achieve,” Ali said.
He explained that the initiative is intended to address inefficiencies in the current market, where institutions and retailers often purchase separately while farmers produce without necessarily knowing how much the market will require.
According to the President, that uncertainty contributes to wastage and higher financing, storage and transportation costs, which are ultimately passed on to consumers.
“Our approach will be based on a simple principle: cheaper food must not come from squeezing the farmer. It must come from taking unnecessary costs out of the system and producing more,” Ali said.
