People join hands to "rescue" agricultural products after storms and floods

Charitable shipments...

After the fierce storm, Van Kieu commune was even more burdened by the storm, which blew off the roofs of greenhouses and toppled the melon trellises. More than 2,000 melons that were about to be harvested in Nguyen Thi Oanh's family were at risk of being damaged. If left for too long, the melon vines would wilt, the fruits would rot, and it would be a total loss. While not knowing what to do, the Women's Union and the Farmers' Association of the commune promptly intervened. In just one quick meeting, a plan to "rescue" the melons was implemented.

More than 20 members were mobilized: some went to the fields to harvest, some took photos to post on social networks, some collected orders, some packed and transported. Some women even transported melons to retail at the market to spread the spirit of sharing. The atmosphere was bustling and urgent like a special market right at Ms. Oanh's family.

Ms. Dang Thi Tam - President of the Women's Union of Van Kieu commune shared: "Immediately after learning about the damage, we discussed and decided not to leave farmers alone. Each person contributes, from small tasks such as posting sales ads online to transporting melons to the market, all aimed at helping people sell as quickly as possible, reducing damage. This is also a way to spread the spirit of mutual love and support in the community."

After only 1 day, all the melons were sold out. Receiving the money from the sale, Ms. Oanh tearfully said:“Without the help of organizations, unions and people, my family would have lost everything. Thank you everyone for joining hands during this difficult time."

In Xuan Lam commune, the worry was even heavier when 2,000 chickens of Ms. Cao Thi Mai Phuong's family, ready to be sold, suffocated due to water flooding in the coop. If they were not slaughtered and sold in time, these chickens would spoil, causing great losses. In the difficult situation, people in the commune joined hands: Some boiled water, others plucked feathers, and others contacted to find a market.

Within just one day, nearly 2,000 chickens were sold out. Knowing that the quality of waterlogged chickens is not as good as fresh chickens, but with the spirit of support as the main thing, many families in the commune are still willing to buy them. Ms. Nguyen Thi Hai shared: "I bought 6 chickens, both for my family to eat and to send to my children who live far away. The most important thing right now is to help each other overcome this disaster."

Not only vegetables and poultry, but also aquaculture ponds suffered heavy losses. In Tan Mai ward, Quynh Mai commune, hundreds of hectares of snail, grouper, crab and shrimp farms were submerged. The family of Mr. Bui Thanh Son, in hamlet 3B, Tan Mai ward, was busy hiring laborers and pumps to save 3 snail ponds. Despite their efforts, dozens of tons of snails were still shocked by the water and gradually died. From a price of 230,000 - 250,000 VND/kg, now it is only 80,000 - 120,000 VND/kg. The damage is in billions.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Lan's family also faced a similar situation, losing over 500 million VND after 2 snail ponds were flooded. Amidst the mounting difficulties, once again, the market became an "extended arm" of humanity. Traders in many markets joined hands to sell snails and grouper to help people in flooded areas. Ms. Tran Linh - a trader at Coi market confided:“When I heard that people in Tan Mai ward were flooded, I immediately accepted the request to sell snails. For the past three days, I have been selling without taking any profit, considering it as a small contribution. People can sell their products, and I feel relieved.

Bridge of sharing

In other markets, the movement quickly spread. People bought not only because of the cheap prices, but also because they wanted to share the hardship. Ms. Phan My Ha in Vinh Loc ward said: "This morning, I went to the market and saw a lot of snails and grouper for sale. I asked and found out that they were supporting the flood victims. I immediately bought 3 kg of snails and 3 kg of fish. It was a chance to enjoy them and a way to help people save money."

From the melons of Van Kieu commune, the chickens of Xuan Lam commune, to the snail ponds and grouper fish of Tan Mai ward, all show the power of solidarity. When natural disasters strike, the market is not simply a place to buy and sell, but has become a bridge connecting, a place to spread love, helping agricultural products reach consumers quickly, helping farmers retain some capital, and continue production.

Not only the cases mentioned above, the spirit of “rescue” is spreading everywhere in the province: places for fish consumption, places for melon collection, places for supporting vegetables, chickens, pigs… At the market, on stalls, in agencies, agricultural products from flooded areas, although not as fresh and eye-catching as usual, are still enthusiastically supported by people. Many small traders, instead of importing goods from other places, are willing to give up a corner of their counter, a shelf on their stall to sell to people in flooded areas, considering it a shared responsibility.

At wholesale markets and traditional markets, it is easy to see small shelves reserved by traders for products from flooded areas: bunches of vegetables, squash, eggplants, flocks of chickens, pigs that have just escaped flooding. Many traders who are used to importing goods from other places now also dedicate a part of their stall space to help sell to people. "The goods may not be beautiful, not uniform, or even ugly, but people in flooded areas have had a hard time, so selling to help is also sharing a part. Customers are also very happy to buy, considering it as joining hands to overcome difficulties," said Ms. Nguyen Thi Hoa, a trader at Vinh market./.