HELSINKI, Oct. 14 (Xinhua) -- Sweden will begin setting up its first emergency grain storage facilities in the country's north, the government announced in a press release on Tuesday.
According to the statement, the Swedish Board of Agriculture will launch procurement on Oct. 15 to create emergency grain reserves in the four northernmost counties -- Norrbotten, Vasterbotten, Vasternorrland, and Jamtland. The agency estimates that storage at contracted suppliers in northern Sweden could begin in the spring of next year.
"We are now moving from preparations to concrete procurement of emergency stocks. This is a historic step in rebuilding Sweden's food preparedness," Minister for Rural Affairs Peter Kullgren said. He added that the long-term goal is to establish emergency reserves across the entire country.
Minister for Civil Defense Carl-Oskar Bohlin said northern Sweden holds strategic importance and has been given special priority within the country's total defense framework. The initiative, he noted, aims to ensure that people can "put food on the table even in times of crisis." The system of emergency grain storage will later be extended nationwide.
The government has allocated 575 million Swedish kronor (60 million U.S. dollars) in the 2026 budget to establish emergency reserves of grain and agricultural inputs, with additional funding planned through 2028 to expand the system across Sweden. (1 Swedish krona = 0.10 U.S. dollar)
