Urgently "rescue" agricultural products of Hai Duong and Quang Ninh that have slumped due to the Covid-19 pandemic

illustration image. Source: Vietnam News Agency

According to statistics of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the winter crop area that has not yet been harvested of Hai Duong province is 7,832 ha (accounting for 35%) of the area, which is mainly onions, concentrated in Kinh Mon district of about 3,500 ha; about 350 hectares of carrots in Nam Sach and 400 hectares of Cam Giang.

In Gia Loc, about 200 hectares of cabbage, kohlrabi and cauliflower have not yet been harvested, the remaining vegetable area in Tu Ky is 200 ha and Kim Thanh is 400 ha.

In Quang Ninh, the area of ​​uncollected vegetables is more than 2,000 hectares, mainly potatoes, corn, and vegetables of all kinds with an estimated output of 30,000 tonnes.

A survey by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development showed that after the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic in Quang Ninh and Hai Duong provinces, the price of agricultural products in Hai Duong province fell by 10-20% compared to before the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Nguyen Nhu Cuong, Director of Department of Crop Production (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development) said the consumption of carrots and potatoes is facing many difficulties as these two agricultural products have a large output and consumption in the province and in the country are not much (only 10%), it is mainly exporting (90%).

Meanwhile, the cold storage warehouse space in Hai Duong province is limited. If the pandemic is controlled before the Lunar New Year, then carrot consumption is not a concern but if the pandemic is prolonged, this is a problem.

Notably, at present, transportation of goods in and out of these localities is very difficult and complex. Meanwhile, the production of people is still going on normally, except for those in quarantine and lockdown.

Local markets in these two provinces have started to apply pandemic control measures, so trading on the streets and sidewalks is limited leading to more difficulty in trading, prices are not high but purchasing power is reduced.

Hai Duong's main markets for agricultural products are Hanoi, Hai Phong, and Quang Ninh (consuming about 60% of Hai Duong's total output of kohlrabi, cabbage, leafy vegetables, guava, oranges and bananas of Hai Duong).

"However, supermarkets, chain stores and consumers are afraid of using the agricultural products of Hai Duong province and contacting with Hai Duong people. The drivers of another province do not want to go to Hai Duong to buy agricultural products due to concerns about the pandemic and quarantine,” the report of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development said.

To consume the agricultural products of farmers in the context of the complex Covid-19 pandemic, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, in the localities that are locked down, they concentrated on harvesting onion and garlic (in Kinh Mon, Chi Linh) from now the Lunar New Year to free up land for rice cultivation and priority is given to harvesting and storage at farmers waiting for consumption when the Covid-19 pandemic is controlled.

Vegetables that need immediate consumption are prioritised for immediate consumption at purchasing, processing and consuming establishments in the province like supermarkets, processing factories, and markets. For carrots, harvested from now to the end of March 2021; with small areas of tubers, it is recommended to keep the fields and continue to care for consumption while the Covid-19 pandemic is under control.

With areas of carrots coming to harvest, promoting consumption in enterprises in the province (factories are concentrated in Cam Giang, Gia Loc); after preliminary processing and packaging, they can be sold for domestic consumption and export. When transporting outside the province, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development stated there must be a plan to transfer or change drivers (in the provincial gateway area) and apply pandemic prevention measures in accordance with the guidance of the health sector.

Notably, for localities that have not been sealed off, it is necessary to focus on caring for and harvesting winter crops that have reached harvest time to serve domestic consumption and export; ensure enough supply for the market before and after the Lunar New Year.

Regarding goods consumption in pandemic areas, at the recent regular Government press conference, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Do Thang Hai affirmed that focusing on anti-pandemic first to ensure preventing the spread of pandemic in this region to other regions.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade is also working with localities, businesses and ministries to avoid the situation of "preventing rivers from forbidding markets", bringing farmers' products to sale in other regions.