Agricultural production needs a boost amid COVID-19: conference
Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) Nguyen Xuan Cuong has ordered the farming sector to ensure stable supply for domestic consumption and prevent food price gouging.
Hanoi (VNA) – Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development NguyenXuan Cuong has ordered the farming sector to ensure stable supply for domesticconsumption and prevent food price gouging.
Speakingat a tele-conference in Hanoi on March 12, the minister pointed to majorchallenges facing the sector, including impacts of COVID-19, extreme weatherpatterns like hailstones, drought and saline intrusion, and diseases amonglivestock and poultry.
Insuch circumstances, the sector needs to step up production while implementingmeasures to cope with diseases, he stressed.
Accordingto the minister, after the epidemic is extinguished, there will be a consumptionboom, so the sector should make preparations to catch the opportunity topromote growth and exports.
Heinstructed localities to restore pig raising as up to 99 percent of communesare now free from African swine fever, striving for the production of 5.6-5.8million tonnes of pork this year.
Regardingexports, Cuong said the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development will continue coordinating with the Ministry ofIndustry and Trade and Vietnamese embassies in foreign countries to hold tradepromotion events in major and promising markets.
Heinformed that ministries, agencies and businesses will join hands to regainfoothold in the Chinese market in the time ahead, and seek ways to ship moreproducts to the neighbouring country.
Accordingto Nguyen Van Viet, head of the MARD’s Planning Department, rice output isexpected to reach 28 million tonnes this year that can meet both domesticconsumption and export demand of about 6.5-7 million tonnes.
Meanwhile, vegetable production is projected at 18.2 million tonnes, up5 percent year-on-year; fruit at around 13.3 million tonnes, up 6 percent; andaquatic products at 8.5 million tonnes, up 4.4 percent. /.
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At the conference (Photo: baochinhphu.vn) 
