More than 270,000 primary school students are once again being provided with breakfasts under a government school meals programme, according to National Social Protection Council.

Social Protection in Cambodia, which is under National Social Protection Council, said in an April 27 statement that the programme, which provides meals for students of households classified as poor or vulnerable, has resumed just months after schools nationwide were allowed to reopen late last year.

“This programme has offered nutritious hot breakfasts for more than 270,000 students every morning while also helping to promote agricultural products in the community because the vegetables and meat provided for the programmme are homegrown in the surrounding communities.

“These students are able to enthusiastically participate in class studies because the Homegrown School Feeding Programme provides daily nutritious meals to more than 270,000 students from 1,113 schools across the country,” it said.

The statement said the government provides free breakfasts daily to more than 50,000 students from 290 schools, compared to 220,000 students from 823 schools as offered by the UN’s World Food Programme.