A group of young people from Ho Chi Minh City had transported agricultural products from the northern province of Hai Duong to the southern metropolis before selling them at zero dong on Tuesday in the hope of easing the burden on farmers in the virus-hit locality.

The group, in collaboration with Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union members, transported a total of more than ten metric tons of cabbages, with a budget of over VND40 million (US$1,700).

Part of the amount came from donors in response to the call on Facebook for a 'rescue' of vegetables that could not find buyers in Hai Duong due to the recent COVID-19 outbreak and related travel restrictions.

The majority of vegetables grown in Hai Duong have been left unsold as authorities in Hai Phong City, a big veggie consumer of Hai Duong, have been restricting goods transport activities for COVID-19 prevention and control.

With the good intention of the Ho Chi Minh City group, the Hai Duong Department of Agriculture and Rural Development quickly approved their proposal to ship locally-grown vegetables to the southern metropolis, according to Nguyen Tan Phi, a grassroots-level Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union official.

The vehicles transporting the veggies were disinfected before reaching Ho Chi Minh City, Phi added.

After their arrival in the city, the ‘rescued’ cabbages were put up for sale at zero dong at a makeshift stall in front of Phat Buu Pagoda in District 3, Ho Chi Minh City.

On Tuesday afternoon, the stall attracted hundreds of people, who happily took away the free cabbages and made small donations in return to support farmers in Hai Duong.

“I support such small-but-meaningful activities initiated by the young people, especially during the pandemic hardship,” said Thanh Thuy, a resident in District 3.

According to the group’s plan, they will transport carrot and kohlrabi from Hai Duong to Ho Chi Minh City in the next two days to help farmers reduce their stockpiles.

Thanks to a nationwide response, more than half of the unsold vegetables in Hai Duong had been snapped up as of 5:00 pm on Tuesday, according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

The latest wave of infections since January 27 has seen a total of 820 locally-transmitted cases logged in 13 provinces and cities.

Among them, 636 patients have been reported in Hai Duong Province, 61 in Quang Ninh Province, 27 in Gia Lai Province, 35 in Hanoi, five in Bac Ninh Province, two in Bac Giang Province, 36 in Ho Chi Minh City, two in Hoa Binh Province, one in Ha Giang Province, three in Dien Bien Province, six in Binh Duong Province, four in Hai Phong, and two in Hung Yen Province.

The national tally stood at 2,412 COVID-19 cases as of Wednesday night, with 1,790 recoveries and 35 deaths, according to the Ministry of Health’s data.

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