MARD offered urgent measures to improve the flow of commodities

On July 28, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development released a paper outlining various urgent measures to ensure the timely delivery of commodities. MARD required, among other things, that centrally-run provincial and local People's Committees promptly comply with certain requirements.

To begin, create the most favorable conditions as possible for the circulation of commodities goods and services necessary for production and consumption, such as breeds and raw materials for the production of animal feeds; materials and equipment necessary for production; agricultural products, particularly fresh products such as breedings, meat, eggs, dairy products, aquatic - seafood, vegetables, tubers, and fruits.

Second, timely instructing and certifying vehicles operating under the green channel as soon as possible after completing registration procedures; disease control checkpoints should establish priority lanes for green-channel vehicles to avoid traffic jams, thereby avoiding extended transportation times that could affect production, particularly the quality of fresh produce.

Thirdly, provinces and towns that adopt social distancing following Directive 16 must establish products transshipment facilities to guarantee both pandemic protection and smooth commerce.

Fourth, establishing a list of essential goods for production and circulation; products that meet basic human needs and national defense and security, with an emphasis on breeds, raw materials for the production of animal feed, and animal feed that are products that contribute to current and long-term production.

Numerous provinces and cities have issued lists of essential goods and services, but some goods and materials required for production remain unavailable; registration for certification of vehicles transported via the green channel remains difficult and infrequent; many checkpoints lack priority lanes for green-channel vehicles, resulting in a lengthy declaration process and a reduction in production.

Previously, on July 25, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh had issued a document ordering the delivery of necessary supplies to help individuals in pandemic-affected regions.

However, MARD has recently received complaints from many livestock, aquaculture, and crop businesses about the inability to sustain output and product stagnation as a result of breed and animal feed cycling. Agriculture and the movement of goods via checkpoints faced many problems.

MARD's paper lays the groundwork for accelerating food circulation, sustaining existing and future production, and ensuring the timely consumption of agricultural products from communities to serve consumers.