Mekong Delta provinces restart production chains

People in many localities in the Mekong Delta embarked on restarting the production chain in the early days of October because the Covid-19 pandemic in many places had been basically under control, with new Covid-19 cases decreasing sharply.
Mekong Delta provinces restart production chains ảnh 1 Seafood trading activities in the coastal town of Ganh Hao in Dong Hai District of Bac Lieu Province. (Photo: SGGP)
Restarting seafood trading activities

Unloading fish from fishing vessels to shore and drying fish are the images showing that the pace of life in the coastal town of Ganh Hao in Dong Hai District of Bac Lieu Province has begun to return to the state of new normal. “Over the past time, due to the implementation of social distancing to prevent the Covid-19 pandemic, people had to stay at home, so most households faced economic difficulties. After the locality loosened social distancing, we are happy and immediately restarted working," said Nguyen Thi Huong while she was drying fish at a residential area in the coastal town of Ganh Hao.

Restarting the pace of life and seafood trading activities is an effort of Bac Lieu Province. “The locality has eased social distancing, but we advise and hope that people will not be careless. In production activities, it is necessary to strictly comply with the 5K regulation of the Ministry of Health and prioritize safety against the pandemic," said Vice Chairman of Dong Hai District People's Committee Nguyen Trong Han.

Ben Tre Province also strives to realize the dual goal of fighting against the pandemic and maintaining socio-economic development. The province prioritizes vaccination for workers and laborers involved in production in enterprises, cooperatives, and production and business establishments. The motto is to organize safe production, circulation, and accommodation. In addition, production must be safe.

Mr. Le Duc Tho, Secretary of the Party Committee of Ben Tre Province said that departments and localities in the province were strengthening collaborating and supporting people to expand and develop the area of high-tech intensive aquaculture; develop the shrimp value chain in association with the project of 4,000 hectares of high-tech shrimp farming; encouraging mobilization and attraction of businesses and investors to develop post-harvest preservation and processing technologies in the province attached with concentrated raw material growing areas to preserve agricultural products well and improve the value of agricultural products. Besides, they must be consistent and create the best conditions for the production chains. “The more difficult it is, the more we have to find ways to maintain the production chains, including the supply chain and the distribution chain,” he said.

Assisting businesses to restore production

In Hau Giang Province, more than 140 workers of Phung Hiep Sugar Refinery have been allowed to return to work to prepare for the 2021-2022 sugarcane crop. It is good news for many local sugarcane farmers. This sugar factory is also one of the local enterprises approved by the Hau Giang Provincial People's Committee to resume production. At the same time, many enterprises have been maintaining operations, mainly in industrial zones and clusters managed by the Hau Giang Industrial Zones Authority.

Chairman of Hau Giang Province Business Association Pham Tien Hoai said that over the past time, Hau Giang Province had prevented and controlled the Covid-19 pandemic in the area fairly well. The province had also created many conditions for businesses, such as vaccination for workers and laborers. Moreover, it also allowed enterprises that meet the requirements for the three-on-site production model to operate immediately."

Mr. Le Duc Tho said that the province would focus on fortifying and promoting the effectiveness of horizontal links between people and people and vertical links between people, cooperative groups, cooperatives, and businesses; strengthening and actively participating in the chain connecting consumption of agricultural products with Ho Chi Minh City, the Mekong Delta region, and the whole country; at the same time actively establishing connections with foreign markets; restarting tourism economic activities attached with an agricultural economy and encouraging local people to boost local tourism.

Mr. Nguyen Phuong Lam, Director of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Can Tho Branch, said that this Covid-19 outbreak caused a serious crisis in the Southern region. The agricultural and aquatic product processing industry in the Mekong Delta was nearly paralyzed. Therefore, when localities can basically control the epidemic, restoring economic activities in the current context is extremely urgent. According to Mr. Lam, the pandemic prevention and control in the Mekong Delta provinces has had positive results. Many pandemic-free areas have continuously expanded, creating assurance and boldness for businesses and authorities to urgently resume production and boost exports in the last months of the year. Some localities, such as Long An and Dong Thap provinces, have continuously held online meetings between the government and the business community to jointly come up with the most appropriate and safest production plan.

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