Hanoi should coordinate with other provinces to build a chain of agricultural product consumption amidst the Covid-19 pandemic.

Nguyen Thi Thu Huong, deputy head of Plant Protection Department (PPD) under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), made the statement at a conference on June 3 to discuss measures to remove technical obstacles for farm produce during the pandemic period.

“The PPD is currently coordinating and supporting localities and businesses to build planting areas and packaging facilities which to make farm output eligible for export,” Huong said.

She added that the PPD will study suitable technical and phytosanitary measures and help localities set up disease-free cultivation areas.

The Covid-19 pandemic has made it difficult to sell agricultural products. Photo: Kinhtedothi.vn

For his part, Deputy Director of the MARD’s Department of Animal Health Nguyen Van Long said that over the past time, the export of animal products has been diversified. Many enterprises have sold milk, honey, processed chicken, among others in foreign markets.

In the domestic market, low price of domestic poultry meat consumption along with the rise of animal feed prices are making life difficult for farmers, Long added.

According to Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Tran Thanh Nam, congestion in the circulation of goods due to the Covid-19 pandemic in early 2021 has left a large amount of vegetables harvested during the winter crop in Hai Duong, Hung Yen, Vinh Phuc and suburban districts of Hanoi unsold and perished.

In term of the export market, agricultural products face technical barriers, even in markets with large export turnover such as China, who are applying measures to control imported frozen goods due to concerns about the risk of transmission of Covid-19, Nam noted.

Therefore, it is crucial to open up the market and provide information on trade barriers in specific foreign markets as well as facilitating the process of animal and plant quarantine, inspection of food hygiene and safety for farm produce traders, added the deputy minister.

Deputy Director of the Hanoi Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Ngoc Son said that over the past time, Hanoi has cooperated with localities to supervise the consumption of domestic agricultural products.

Son emphasized that his department will continue to strengthen the chain between Hanoi and other provinces and cities in the country to promote consumption of agricultural products in the time ahead.