Just in time for Ramadan new shipments of fruits, vegetables and other groceries are shipped across the country to ensure that Ramadan goes smoothly all around the Maldives with no household lacking in food items.
With the holy month of Ramadan only three days away, Muslims from all around the world are getting ready for a month of fasting, and togetherness. Though the month of Ramadan is all about seeking forgiveness for past sins and getting closer to our religion, food also plays a major role during this holy month.
Not only does the preparation of food brings families together during this month, but iftar food is also prepared and distributed to friends, family members, and neighbours and donated to those who are not as fortunate to prepare a hearty meal for every iftar. With this in mind, many Muslim households from all across the globe start their big Ramadan purchases months or weeks before the holy month begins.
Though a large part of the purchases includes groceries in order to save time and energy during the month of fasting, many households also splurge on much-needed household items to prepare larger meals for the whole family during this time of the year. Everything from new cutlery, flatware and kitchen sets are purchased and renewed in many households with the arrival of Ramadan, and with this, many stores mark their biggest sales with the number of items that are purchased just in time for Ramadan.
In the Maldives, every start of Ramadan is marked with a night market or bazaar that provides customers with discounted household items that are an absolute necessity for the month. Just in time for Ramadan, new shipments of fruits, vegetables and other groceries are shipped across the country to ensure that Ramadan goes smoothly all around the Maldives with no household lacking in food items.
The CEO of Maldives Ports Limited (MPL) has stated that the company is going to be looking at some of the biggest shipments coming into the Maldives in preparation for the holy month of Ramadan and better operations are going to be carried out this time around by the company after evaluating the outcome in the previous years.
In order to ensure better operations this time around, MPL has taken some serious measures such as getting new ‘reach stackers’ for faster loading and unloading of containers, increasing the storage space for perishable goods that will go stale quickly, hiring additional staff, especially for the month of Ramadan to facilitate with the loading and unloading of products as well as the purchase of two brand new forklifts to help with the quick loading and unloading of perishable goods.
"This time our target is to unload and clear perishable goods and general cargo together. So we believe it will be easier for importers than last year, perishable goods are unloaded on the same day of arrival, especially food on the same day of arrival. For example, if a ship arrives in the morning, the target is to clear the goods on the same day”
With Ramadan less than a week away, MPL is not the only company preparing for the coming month as the biggest trading outlet in the Maldives the State Trading Organisation (STO) has also started its Ramadan preparations.
As this is going to be the first Ramadan in their new home for thousands of residents who moved into Hulhumale’ phase 2, in order to make it an easy and smooth Ramadan STO has opened up a new outlet in the area as well.
Not only will this store be facilitating grocery and household items that are available in all the other STO outlets, but in order to cater to the residents of Phase 2, STO has also announced that the retail outlet will be selling local short-eats which are widely popular on the iftar menu of every Maldivian household.
With STO being one of the most popular retail outlets that facilitates an easier shopping experience, especially during the month of Ramadan and MPL working extra hard this Ramadan to ensure that the month goes as smoothly as possible for those who are fasting during this month, hopefully, this Ramadan will be a blessed one for all households across the Maldives.
