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Cat Lai Port. Photo: Thu Hoa

With the message "Enterprises and Saigon Newport - accompanying and sharing" in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, Saigon Newport Corporation has deployed to receive the service of packing rice at wharf 125 managed and operated by Tan Cang Shipping and Handling Agent Joint Stock Company, located in Tan Cang - Cat Lai port area.

In the complex situation of the Covid-19 pandemic, the southern region and the Mekong Delta have implemented social distancing according to Directive 16, making it tough for many businesses to pack and buy rice at commercial warehouses Firms switching to bulk shipbuilding are also heavily affected by the lack of human resources for cargo handling.

Facing that situation, to help rice exporters maintain their domestic and international rice supply chains, Saigon Newport Corporation has come up with a solution to reopen conveyor belts serving rice packing, increase capacity for containers to export rice, ensure goods run smoothly through the port while maintaining pandemic prevention.

Tan Cang Freight Forwarding and Unloading Agent Joint Stock Company takes over the rice packing service at wharf 125 in Tan Cang - Cat Lai port area, with a scale of two dual conveyors and a capacity of 70 containers per day.

At the same time, the unit deploys the "three-on-the-spot" service, testing workers regularly to provide support services for firms to pack export goods at the port.

In addition to packing rice for export at Cat Lai port, Saigon Newport Corporation has also developed other facilities in the system that can meet option “three on the spot” and containerise operations, along with good support policies for rice packing workers such as Tan Cang - Nhon Trach ICD, Tan Cang - Hiep Phuoc port, with a capacity of 20-25/containers per day at each facility and Tan Cang - Cai Cui in the Mekong Delta, with capacity from 13-15 containers per day.

According to the leader of Saigon Newport Corporation, the re-implementation of the rice packing service in the context of the pandemic is very complex, demonstrating the great efforts of the Shipping Agent Joint Stock Company..

The release of rice exports for businesses in the current difficult time helps relieve output pressure for export agricultural products, ensuring smooth supply chain of essential goods domestically and internationally.

Recently, at an online meeting between Dong Thap, Kien Giang, An Giang, Can Tho city and the Northern Food Corporation (Vinafood 1) to discuss solutions to connect rice and sticky rice consumption, these units mentioned many difficulties in purchasing, processing and exporting rice.

According to the leaders of these provinces, rice firms are having difficulty in bringing rice to the port for export, the amount of rice in stock is high and they want a policy to support capital to increase purchasing volume, as well as facilitate movement between localities.

At the meeting, Bui Thi Thanh Tam, Chairwoman of Vinafood 1's Members' Council, said the rice logistics supply chain is broken due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, rice was congested from fields to factories and export ports.

Chairman Bui Thi Thanh Tam said Vinafood 1 is ready to buy rice for farmers, Vinafood 1 has an order of 100,000 tonnes of rice that needs to be bought immediately to deliver to its partners, but "power is not willing" due to the chain logistics supply being broken, not including factories in An Giang and Dong Thap had to suspend operations due to the impact of the disease.

In addition, due to the impact of the pandemic, enterprises could not hire ships or containers to export goods to partners, leading to a huge congestion of goods at ports and warehouses. Northern Food Corporation has more than 118,000 tonnes of rice in its warehouses, with inventories ranging from 70% to 86% of the total warehouse area of ​​its subsidiaries.

The provinces will set up a quick response working group, establish a hotline to receive and remove difficulties and obstacles for businesses purchasing and transporting rice between provinces. At the same time, it is recommended the central Government have solutions to support financial packages for businesses to purchase agricultural products and buy rice for temporary storage.

Along with that, units of An Giang province and Can Tho city will work with My Thoi port and Thot Not port to have solutions to improve container packing, loading and unloading capacity to create favourable conditions for rice export firms.