The Bình Điền Wholesale Market in HCM City has an abundant supply of farm produce. HCM City has been making efforts to ensure supply from other provinces is not affected by the current wave of COVID-19. – Photo sggp.org.vn

HCM CITY — Transport of all kinds of goods into HCM City remains relatively unaffected, with little or no congestion at entrances despite its COVID-19 semi-lockdown.

Its wholesale markets are getting a steady supply.

The Thủ Đức Wholesale Market is in fact getting more fresh farm produce than usual.

COVID inspection checkpoints have been set up at the city’s gates and places where wholesale markets are located. Trucks transporting goods are disinfected there, and drivers are tested.

Trucks coming from provinces with COVID-19 have separate parking and disinfecting areas.

HCM City relies on other provinces and cities for 70 per cent of its agricultural produce.

Nguyễn Nguyên Phương, deputy director of the Department of Industry and Trade, said his department has been instructing wholesale markets to ensure that goods are delivered to smaller markets in an efficient manner.

But farmers in other provinces are suffering due to HCM City’s COVID closure.

Many in Đà Lạt City grew flowers since the beginning of March to supply to the Đầm Sen Flower Market in HCM City’s District Tết Đoan Ngọ, an annual festival held on the fifth of the fifth lunar month, which falls on June 14 this year.

But after the city announced that the flower market would be closed from June 3 for social distancing, many farmers are struggling to sell their flowers.

Duy Tình, a farmer in Đà Lạt, told Sài Gòn Giải Phóng newspaper that he has been growing flowers for the market, and it would be very difficult to sell them elsewhere, and he could incur massive losses.

The Đà Lạt Flower Association and the Lâm Đồng Province Department of Industry and Trade have called on HCM City to consider open the market until June 14, when the festival would have ended. 

Fish farmers in Bà Rịa – Vũng Tàu Province are also suffering since many restaurants in HCM City are closed. With their unsold fish continuing to grow in size, so do their feeding expenses.

The HCM City Department of Industry and Trade is working with provinces to encourage local businesses and customers to buy seasonal produce from other provinces and support struggling farmers.

Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính last Saturday called on provinces to monitor the pandemic but at the same time make sure economic activities are not affected.

Some are getting a bit too extreme with their preventive measures, affecting supply chains, he noted. VNS