Midday meals: Schoolchildren to benefit from provision of fortified rice

About half a million school children will benefit from a programme which is underway to provide fortified rice for lunch for eight months.The Ministry of Agriculture and Plantation Industries, the Ministry of Education, the World Food Programme, the National Food Promotion Board and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) jointly launched the project on Feb 01, according to the President’s Office.

“The programme seeks to enhance the nutritional status of schoolchildren, addressing issues such as anemia, memory impairment and stunted growth. Approximately 500,000 school children are expected to benefit from fortified rice lunches over an eight-month period,” the Presidential Media Division has said.