Lychee products given green lane priority on official border

On May 25, the Minister of MoIT Nguyen Hong Dien chaired a working session with Bac Giang provincial authorities on the situation of industrial production, supply of essential goods and connection of supply and demand, consumption of local agricultural products amidst the complicated developments of Covid-19 in the area.

This year is a bumper crop of lychees with an estimated output of 180,000 tons including 45,000 tons is ready for consumption and 135,000 tons is going to be in the main crop on June 6. In addition, about 9,000 tons of pineapples are also in the harvest, 1,700 tons of chicken, 5,600 tons of pigs are ready for the market, with a value of tens of trillions of dong.

Due to the social distancing order during Covid-19, the consumption of these products is facing difficulties. Secretary of Bac Giang Party Committee Duong Van Thai said that the province has been promoting trade and consumption of agriculture products on some media channels and e-commerce platforms. He also called for the support of MoIT and other relevant parties to ensure better circulation of these products.

Responding to the provincial authorities’ opinion, Le Hoang Oanh, director-general of the Asia-Africa Market Department suggested on the lychee exporting that Bac Giang strengthens products promotion via the e-commercial platform and ensure Covid-19-free in the lychee cultivation area.

In the context of the pandemic, MoIT is willing to be the bridge to coordinate essential goods to support Bac Giang. The market management force is also closely monitoring market developments, promptly detecting and strictly handling acts of hoarding, price increase, and trade fraud.

Deputy Minister Do Thang Hai stated that the demand for Bac Giang lychee is still very high, however, the circulation of the fruit at border gates is still uneasy. He emphasized that MoIT will work with border localities to coordinate and support the transport of agricultural products from Bac Giang to the border gate area.

Minister of MoIT Nguyen Hong Dien stressed three main goals in the coming times the ministry must take note to support Bac Giang in the difficult time of the pandemic including promoting the agricultural product consumption especially for Thieu lychee products, ensuring the supply of essential goods; restore production activities in line with pandemic prevention.

The Ministry and Bac Giang also agreed that the domestic market is the most important in the present, the difficulties during the pandemic period are also considered an opportunity to optimize the market of 100 million population.