Supporting enterprises to ensure fresh meat supply

According to the report of special working group under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), fruit and vegetable supplies are now abundant, ensuring enough food for 19 provinces and cities in Southern Vietnam applying social distancing measures  under the Prime Minister's Directive 16

However, through fact-finding trips at localities, special working group led by Deputy Minister of the MARD Tran Thanh Nam found three outstanding issues. The first is fresh meat supply. The second is transit stations shipping food to consumers. The third is the circulation of agricultural materials.

"Currently, Ho Chi Minh City needs 400,000 eggs, 1.5 tons of vegetable a day," said the report of the MARD's special working group.

Regarding the supply of fresh meat, Chief of Office of the MARD Le Van Thanh said Ho Chi Minh city now needs 10,000 pigs a day. However, it is impossible for the local enterprises to apply "three-on-the -spot motto" including producing on the spot, eating on the spot, taking a resting on the spot, or one road -two destinations."

"The main problem is that slaughterhouses are now facing labour shortage. Workers are unable to travel due to social distancing. In addition, truck drivers are also subject to quarantine along the road from Police checkpoint, Public Health checkpoint, veterinary checkpoint.", Thanh said.

"Regarding transfer stations, the problem is the demand in each consumption site in HCM City is only few quintals of fruits and vegetables while the specialized trucks often carry tons of agricultural products.

"Truck drivers will take a long time to go to all the consumption sites instead of unloading all goods at one site", Thanh explained

As for agricultural materials, at the meeting on July 20, the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the MARD agreed to add some materials such as seed, fertilizer to the list of essential items

Agreeing with this point of view, Deputy Minister of the MARD Phung Duc Tien said that seeds, fertilizers are the basic items for agriculture recovery when the pandemic is controlled.

"We need to ensure to achieve the dual goals the Government set," Deputy Minister Tien emphasized.

Deputy Minister Phung Duc Tien gave solutions to the problem including: First, providing mechanism and maximum supports to help fresh meat producers like Masan, C.P.., and organizing production in disease safety condition.

Second, contacting with some units with available warehouse such as the Ministry of Defense or taking advantage of buffer areas like Cu Chi (HCM City) for using in the pandemic period.

Third, asking the Government for adding agricultural materials to the list of essential items.