Vietnam stands ready to boost agricultural exports amid COVID-19

ABO/NDO - The production and consumption of agricultural products will encounter many difficulties amid the complicated developments of the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly in terms of fruit in harvest season such as lychee and longan.
To actively respond to the current situation, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) has assigned the relevant units to monitor and follow the actual situation while arranging plant quarantine forces to implement the inspection of agricultural exports, especially lychee about to be harvested, to avoid export congestion of at border gates.
The Plant Protection Department was asked to follow and quickly notify any changes in China's anti-pandemic process to exporters while supporting localities in the export of lychee to China, Japan, the US and others.

Early maturing lychee has been harvested from May 10 and this will last until June 10. (Photo: VNA).

The Department of Agro Processing and Market Development Authority have been directed to work alongside provinces with a high output of lychee such as Hai Duong and Bac Giang to assist the localities in consuming the fruit.
The department will also take charge of online conferences with Vietnamese Trade Representatives in China to discuss plans to export Vietnamese agricultural products to China.
The MARD also asked for timely solutions to facilitate the consumption, import and export of agricultural products and raw materials in pandemic-hit localities.
Director of the Plant Protection Department Hoang Trung said that localities have completed procedures regarding growing area codes, packages and other to stand ready for the export of agricultural products.
Early maturing lychee has been harvested from May 10 and this will last until June 10 with an estimated output of 45,000 tonnes. The main crop is scheduled to be picked from June 10 to July 20 with an estimated output of 134,500 tonnes.

(Source: NDO)