Standard Project Report 2016
Project Type Cereals Oil Pulses Mix Other Total
Development Project 1,104 81 160-- 1,344
Total Food Distributed in 2016
1,104 81 160-- 1,344
Supply Chain
In 2016, 70 percent was procured from the local market *, while 30 percent was procured internationally or regionally. The rice available locally was not only cheaper but also allowed for better control over the delivery and quality of the rice. The local procurement also contributed towards the development of the local market. All international shipments were received in the Indian port of Kolkata and were transported by truck to the warehouses in Bhutan by WFP-appointed transporters. There were no in-kind shipments in 2016.
As a part of the WFP corporate requirement, WFP ' s logistics execution support system was rolled out in the country. In the first half of 2016, the Food Corporation of Bhutan Limited continued to be responsible for all internal transport, storage and handling of WFP food as governed by a memorandum of understanding with WFP. In the second half of 2016, the Ministry of Education took on the responsibility for delivery to WFP-assisted schools. The Ministry of Education continued to engage the Food Corporation of Bhutan Limited in an oversight role, which strengthened its logistical knowledge.
While there were no significant delays in deliveries of food to the schools, local circumstances, such as landslides or difficulties getting porters or donkeys, occasionally resulted in food being delivered a few days later than planned. Since these schools still had some carry-over stocks from the earlier delivery round, there was no disruption in the actual food distribution to the school children.
Based on the recommendation from a scoping mission conducted by WFP Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific, a consultant from the Kuenhe Foundation was invited to the country to evaluate and assess the logistical set-up with the Food Corporation of Bhutan Limited and provide guidance on improving the logistics of the national school feeding programme. The recommendations from the assessment were presented to the School Feeding Technical Committee, where it was decided that a few of the recommended supply chain models should be piloted in 2017 to make the supply chain more efficient. The main recommendations from the assessment were as follows:
• Strengthen procurement systems at the school levels for perishable goods to achieve cost efficiency and to avoid irregularity in supplies;
• Strengthen logistical capacity of the Ministry of Education to comprehend, monitor, and be accountable across the various key processes of the school feeding programme supply chain;
• Provide technical training to all schools for the management of commodities in the areas of quality control, proper storage, and maintain accurate record keeping in order to improve storage and minimise damage and losses; and
• Increase the frequency of food distribution using hubs closer to the schools in light of the limited storage facilities in many schools.
Footnote: * Most of the food items, though procured from local suppliers, actually came from India.
Bhutan, Kingdom of( BT) 8 Development Project- 200300