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OSPA

Food stocks

In autumn 2021, the Ministry of Rural Affairs tasked AS Eesti Varude Keskus with managing food stocks across the country.

The current food stock of Estonia was formed in the early 2000s and is maintained in the form of prepared meals (canned food, dry ingredients, grain products, drinks, etc.) with the assumption that the amount of calories in the stock is sufficient to cover the food needs of the entire population for up to one week.

The food supply of the state is stored by Estonian companies that are contractual partners of AS Eesti Varude Keskus. They must have the agreed amount of food and drinks in their warehouses at any given time. In the event of a crisis, the state buys the stock from manufacturers and wholesalers.

AS Eesti Varude Keskus has started preparations for increasing the stock of prepared meals and has been tasked by the Government of the Republic to form a strategic grain stock.

In 2022 a large-scale research study on the supply security of the Estonian food sector was completed in cooperation between the Estonian University of Life Sciences, the Estonian Institute of Economic Research, and the Estonian Crop Research Institute. It is an important input for AS Eesti Varude Keskus in forming food stocks and ensuring the continuity of critical production chains in the field.

According to assessments, Estonia’s level of food self-sufficiency is generally good. Our production plants, wholesale warehouses, and retail stores have the most common groups of food products in quantities sufficient for ordinary consumption for several months. In addition, most Estonian families also have several days’ worth of food at home.