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The Covid-19 epidemic outbreak continues to pose a difficult problem for stabilizing the agricultural product consumption market. In particular, flexible solutions for agricultural products to be circulated, consumed conveniently, and adapted to the epidemic context are of great concerns.

Trade promotion, product broadcasting, and facilitation of agricultural product market expansion in the province have been taken care of by all levels and agencies

Long-term measures needed

According to a report of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), in the first 4 months of 2021, the agricultural sector continues to maintain a good growth rate. Major agricultural products increased in both productivity and output over the same period last year. Although it has been affected by general difficulties from the Covid-19 pandemic, the consumption market with many agricultural products remained stable and the total export value of agricultural products in the first 4 months of the year has reached over USD 17 billion, increasing by 24.4% year on year.

However, entering the first months of the second quarter of 2021, the Covid-19 epidemic continued to develop complicatedly and unpredictably by rapid spread around the world. Production, importation, circulation and transportation of goods, including the agricultural sector, have been severely affected, especially service enterprises, small and medium-sized enterprises, and large-scale household businesses. Therefore, at the online conference on "Promoting the consumption of agricultural products in the context of Covid-19" organized by Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, localities have focused on removing obstacles and difficulties in promoting agricultural products consumption of agricultural products domestically and for export and investments into processing. Accordingly, it is necessary to adjust agricultural production and to strengthen processing, preservation and circulation. Agricultural product processing factories increase their capacity to focus on dry goods, preliminary processing, frozen products, concentrated fruit juices, rice, processed poultry, etc. to best prepare the post-Covid-19 epidemic plan for China, EU, and US markets.

Concluding the conference, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Tran Thanh Nam suggested that in the coming time, localities should continue to seriously implement dual goals; should timely broadcast information on the production and circulation of agricultural products in the locality to proactively adjust production plans according to the market demands. The functional agencies of the Ministry should strengthen the handling of dossiers and recommendations of enterprises to advise and remove difficulties for enterprises; should be advising and negotiating with other countries to promote agricultural product exports. In order to expand export markets, Deputy Minister Tran Thanh Nam suggested that units under Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development should coordinate with units under Ministry of Industry and Trade to study and propose solutions to soon allow the exportation of fruit products of Vietnam to the Chinese market. Along with that, the associations of agricultural products have closely coordinated with units of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and Ministry of Industry and Trade to focus on promoting domestic consumption and development of forms of agricultural product consumption through online retail distribution and diversifying export markets.

To assist farmers

In Binh Duong, in the first months of 2021, the agricultural production achieved positive results. However, the Covid-19 epidemic has greatly affected the production and consumption of cantaloupe products in An Binh commune of Phu Giao district. Local farmers are mainly for consumption in the northern provinces of Vietnam. In the situation of social distancing, people's markets and retail stores in some provinces and cities in the North and Hanoi are closed, leading to the consumption of agricultural products at supermarkets and at large and small agents. The cooperation of cooperatives decreased sharply. On the other hand, the epidemic has affected the signing of contracts with partners, the price of agricultural inputs fluctuated, so many difficulties have arisen.

Mr. Nguyen Hong Quyet, Director of Kim Long Hi-tech Agricultural Cooperative, said that normally the cooperative sells 3 tons of melons per day to the provinces, but before the epidemic situation, consumption decreased to only 1 ton. Facing the above situation, the Farmers' Association of Phu Giao district mobilized people in the area to register for buying to support the consumption of the outstanding amount of melons at the price of only VND 20,000 a kilogram.

Mr. Pham Van Bong, Director of Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said that the province's agricultural sector forecasts that the production and consumption of agricultural products in the area may continue to be affected. In order to respond and contribute to ensuring the dual goals of drastic disease prevention and control as well as recovery and socio-economic development, Binh Duong's agricultural sector will review the production situation and guide localities to build a reasonable production plan in line with the market forecast. The sector will regularly update the directives and instructions of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and coordinate with Department of Industry and Trade to deploy solutions to diversify product consumption channels, to diversify measures to distribute goods, and to provide support for businesses, cooperatives, and farms to distribute products on the online markets.

Reported by Thoai Phuong – Translated by Vi Bao