State Trading Organisation (STO) has begun selling 23 staple food items as part of the Government’s efforts to ensure the availability of essential goods at affordable prices.

According to STO, the new range of items including fruits, vegetables, and other basic commodities is now available from STO Wholesale Centres and STO People’s Choice outlets. The initiative aligns with the Government’s policy to strengthen food security and stabilise prices in the local market.

The list of items includes bananas, onions, apples, ginger, oranges, carrots, pumpkins, lemons, eggplant, pumpkin, grapes, chilies, and passionfruit, among others. In addition, STO has also started selling three more food products — yellow lentils, chicken eggs, and coconuts.

STO stated that prices will be adjusted in accordance with market trends, with continuous monitoring through the Ministry of Economic Development’s “Agula Magu” portal to ensure transparency. The company also noted that discussions are ongoing to explore further ways to make these products more accessible to businesses.

STO reaffirmed that its primary objective is to guarantee the availability of healthy and affordable food for the public.

The initiative follows a Cabinet decision to import and sell 10 varieties of fruits, 10 types of vegetables, and other staple goods such as green gram, eggs, and potatoes. President Dr Mohamed Muizzu announced that the decision is part of his Administration’s policy to enhance food security and support self-sufficiency in the Maldives.