North Central localities maintain economic development while preventing pandemic

Farmers enjoy good harvest and high prices

Historic heavy rain and floods caused tremendous damage to the agricultural sector in the provinces Quang Binh, Quang Tri and Thua Thien Hue. However, floods also deposit silt on rice fields, thus benefiting rice growth. After the floods, the localities actively applied science and technology in agricultural production.

As a result, the local farmers earned large profits because of high yields and prices thanks to excellent winter-spring and summer-autumn crops.

These days, farmers in provinces from Quang Binh to Thua Thien Hue are busy with harvesting rice in the current summer-autumn crop, with expected output of 54 to 58 quintals per hectare, higher than last year’s crop.

The provinces’ Departments of Agriculture and Rural Development have coordinated with local authorities to mobilise all available machinery and human resources to harvest rice in order to avoid damage from early flooding.

In Quang Binh Province, the local authorities have mobilised trade union members and young volunteers to help people harvest rice for people living in areas practicing social distancing under Prime Minister’s Directive 16.

Businesses strive to realise dual tasks

In addition to supporting farmers overcome difficulties caused by floods and amid COVID-19, the north central localities have also taken prompt actions to assist businesses’ operation in order to maintain production and ensure undisrupted supply chains.

With total investment of around VND8.1 trillion (US$354.7 million), the B&T wind power cluster by Philippines-based Ayala Group in the districts of Quang Ninh and Le Thuy in Quang Binh Province is the wind power project with largest capacity (252 MW) in inland Vietnam.

The cluster includes two farms. The first one, B&T 1, was completed in August with a capacity of 100.8 MW while the second is expected to be completed in October this year with a capacity of 151.2 MW.

Once put into operation, the project will not only contribute to the provincial budget but will also create jobs for local people and boost Quang Binh’s tourism sector.

According to Director of the provincial Department of Planning and Investment Phan Phong Phu, the provincial People’s Committee have asked departments, agencies and localities to provide support and create most favourable conditions for investor during the project’s implementation.

Production at the VRG Quang Tri MDF Wood Joint Stock Company (Photo: NDO/Lam Quang Huy)

In Quang Tri Province, the VRG Quang Tri MDF Wood Joint Stock Company, a leading enterprise in Vietnam's wood processing industry, has proactively developed many COVID-19 pandemic response plans in order to maintain production while preventing the pandemic in the factory.

The company’s General Director Cao Thanh Nam noted with pleasure that despite the complicated development of the pandemic, all workers still receive stable incomes of more than VND9 million per month – a positive result that not all companies have managed to achieve amidst the pandemic.

According to the Thua Thien Hue Provincial Department of Industry and Trade, the majority of enterprises operating at industrial parks in the province have always attached attention to COVID-19 prevention and control. Medical isolation rooms have been set up in all factories, in which workers are asked to keep distance and make health declarations. Many businesses have actively coordinated with the local health sector to conduct vaccination against COVID-19 for their employees.

The COVID-19 pandemic has seen complicated development which have posed great impact on the socio-economic and people’s life across country and the North Central region in particular.

Local authorities of the North Central provinces said that they will continue taking drastic measures to realise dual tasks of maintaining economic development and effective containing the pandemic while working to remove difficulties and obstacles facing businesses and create the most favourable conditions for their operation.