Many businesses in the Southwest region have maintained production to ensure export growth, despite having to apply social distancing measures due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

In the last two weeks, more than 100 enterprises and cooperatives in Can Tho City have registered to resume operations.

This city has a plan to restore production according to three stages. Of which, an enterprise will restore production for 30 per cent of workers in the first stage. This number of workers will increase to 40-50 per cent in the second stage and to more than 50 per cent in the third stage. The enterprise will return to normal operation after already having safe production activities at those three stages.

Nguyen Van Hao, chairman of the Can Tho Business Association, said that the Government and local authorities should have policies on continuing to restructure loans, delay payment for debts and provide loans for enterprises to maintain production and business.

In addition, local authorities and the health departments need to prioritise vaccination for workers to ensure disease prevention, maintain production and reduce difficulties for businesses. At the same time, they should permit the implementation of a new production model to replace the "3-on-site" model.

According to the Department of Planning and Investment of Can Tho City, during the period of social distancing, more than 95 per cent of enterprises in the city have temporarily suspended operations. Of which, about 70 per cent are agricultural and seafood production and trading enterprises.

Nguyen Van Do, director of the Department of Industry and Trade of Ca Mau Province, said the seafood sector was still growing. For shrimp products alone, the total output reached more than 142,800 tonnes in the first eight months, an increase of 8.1 per cent over the same period last year.

Total processed shrimp output was 115,000 tonnes, up 13.6 per cent year on year.

The total seafood export turnover was US$652 million, up 17.6 per cent over the same period in 2020.

Secretary of the Soc Trang Provincial Party Committee Lam Van Man said at present, the disease was under control so shrimp production and consumption at enterprises and farming households in the province gradually stabilised.

Soc Trang has 20 seafood export enterprises, including the five largest shrimp processing and exporting enterprises that account for 75 per cent of seafood export value.

This province now is one of the largest seafood exporters nationwide with a total value of $600 million, accounting for about 12 per cent of the national seafood export turnover. Of which, shrimp exports accounted for 94 per cent with a value of $535 million.

According to the Ministry of Planning and Investment, the total export value of the whole Mekong Delta region was estimated at $9.5 billion in the first eight months, up 8.8 per cent over the same period last year. The region's key export products include rice, pangasius and shrimp.

Meanwhile, Kien Giang Province’s export value was estimated at nearly $510 million in the first eight months of the year, up 8.6 per cent over the same period in 2020. Major products such as rice, frozen shrimp, squid and frozen octopus have witnessed export growth.

An Giang Province's export value also rose by 2 per cent year on year to $615.47 million in the first eight months with export growth in some key commodities such as rice, frozen seafood and frozen vegetables. VNS