With the new school year, the government will launch the School Scheme initiative.
In order to increase the intake of fresh fruit and vegetables, as well as milk and dairy products, and to raise awareness about the importance of healthy eating among school children, starting from the next school year Croatia will launch the new School Scheme initiative – free meals of fruit, vegetables, milk and dairy products for pupils, reports Jutarnji List on May 30, 2017.
A total of 23 million kunas has been provided for the implementation of the initiative, including a substantial grant from the European Commission, reported the Ministry of Agriculture in a statement.
All schools that want to participate in the School Scheme will select a local supplier who will deliver fruit and vegetables (100-150 grams per child per week) and milk, yogurt, cream and similar dairy products (0.15 to 0.25 liters per child per week).
Fruits and vegetables will be delivered and distributed at least once a week, and milk and dairy products once a week for at least 12 weeks, in accordance with the school calendar. The target group for fruit and vegetables are primary and secondary school students and for milk and dairy products students of primary schools.
Among the fruit and vegetables, schools will accept tangerines, apples, pears, plums, peaches, nectarines, cherries, strawberries, tomatoes, and carrots, while acceptable milk and dairy products include milk, buttermilk, sour milk, cream, yogurt, kefir and other fermented dairy products.
The Paying Agency for Agriculture, Fisheries and Rural Development announced on Tuesday a public call for expression of interest from schools and suppliers to participate in the program. The call will remain open until 14 June for schools, and until the end of the school year for providers. On 20 June, the Agency will publish a list of schools that can participate in the Scheme, with the number of students per school and the estimated grant amount, as well as an initial list of suppliers that can deliver fruits, vegetables, and dairy products to schools. The schools will then select suppliers, giving priority to short supply chains and products from local and regional producers.
Agriculture Minister Tomislav Tolušić invited all 1,393 primary and secondary schools in Croatia, as well as family farms, to get involved in the program and provide Croatian schoolchildren with local fruit, vegetables, milk and dairy products.
“The new School Scheme will enable schools to select local agricultural producers and suppliers. In this way, we give priority to local farmers, to fresh food and sustainable development of Croatian villages,” said Tolušić.
