Hanoi (VNA) - Policymakers and experts gathered in a meeting on June 7 to seeksolutions to deal with difficulties in transporting farm produce and goodsto border gates and between provinces amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

At themeeting, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) Tran ThanhNam said his ministry had worked with the Ministry of Industry and Tradeand the Ministry of Health to create a mechanism where the latter wouldissues certificates for farm produce to be transported faster.

Nam saidministries and agencies needed to conduct procedures in good time to helpfarmers and businesses know how and where they can get said certificates fortheir farm produce. 

The deputyminister said businesses only needed the health sector to issue a certificateof eligibility for agro products circulation. Once traders show thecertificates, traffic police would let them go to ensure farm produce isshipped quickly.

Nam alsoasked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to work with Chinese partners totemporarily allow the use of “vaccine passports” for drivers specialised indriving agricultural products and goods between the two countries toreduce costs for businesses. 

Also at themeeting, a representative of the Ministry of Health said his ministryhad issued instructions on disease prevention and control for businesseswhen transporting farm produce or goods from areas affected by thepandemic. The ministry has also used rapid testing for those involved in transportingfarm produce and goods from affected areas. 

The Ministryof Health will work with other ministries to request People's Committees innorthern provinces to assist businesses in boosting the transport of farmproduce and goods as quickly as possible.

Hoang Anh Tuan,Deputy Director of the Domestic Market Department under the Ministry ofIndustry and Trade, asked traders to follow measures on pandemicprevention and control to ensure circulation of goods. 

The Ministryof Industry and Trade has issued documents to instruct businesses to worktogether to ensure supply and demand with the use of modern trade channels ande-commerce to promote the consumption of farm produce.

Nguyen QuocToan, Director of the Agro Processing and Market Development Authority under the Ministry of Agriculture and RuralDevelopment, said difficulties in transporting farm products betweenprovinces were due to checkpoints for controlling the pandemic. He said despitehaving a safety compliance certificate for COVID-19, all drivers and goods wereinspected again, causing transport congestion and harming businesses.

Toan said hewanted ministries to review and conduct suitable measures on transportmanagement to ensure pandemic prevention and business operations./.