YAKUTSK, February, 10. /TASS/. Socially important food products to Yakutia’s Arctic districts will be transported for the first time via the Northern Sea Route, the regional government’s press service said on Wednesday.

"It is for the first time that a part of socially important food products to the Yakut Arctic districts will be delivered via the Northern Sea Route. Previously, socially important food products to the region’s Arctic and Northern districts were taken by railway to Nizhny Besyakh, then during the navigation season - by rivers, and the remaining part - by trucks on snow-pressed roads. Additionally, last year (2021), such consignments to those districts were delivered by regional air companies," the press service said.

The transportation along the Northern Sea Route will cut the expenses "which consequently will be seen in costs of food in the Arctic and Northern districts," the press service continued. "Unfortunately, prices on most food products have been growing, and thus one of the tasks is to control the price growth."

According to the press service, the region’s wholesale company’s vessel will take cargo in the Krasnodar Region by mid-June. "We plan to have delivered the goods via the Northern Sea Route by late July," the press service said. "Presently, the vessel undergoes services in the Leningrad Region. For this year’s navigation, we plan this vessel will make two voyages from the Krasnodar Region via the Northern Sea Route to ports Tiksi and Cherskyi."

The two voyages will deliver 3,000 tonnes of food products - 50% of planned supplies for Arctic and Northern districts within the navigation season.