Vehicles carrying farm produce given priority

China will continue to strengthen the supply of farm produce to cope with shortages caused by the novel coronavirus outbreak, the State Council said in a notice issued on Thursday.

It said local governments should be responsible for the supply of vegetables, meat, eggs, milk, aquatic products and other produce in areas under their administration.

They were also urged to pay attention to the production, sale, transportation and quality control of farm produce, it said.

The notice said local authorities should publish details of channels for receiving complaints, such as hotline numbers, and resolve problems concerning the supply of farm produce in a timely manner. Formalism and bureaucratism should be strictly avoided, it said.

To guarantee farm production, the notice said efforts should be made to coordinate large farming entities like cooperatives and large private businesses to solve labor shortages.

Hog production should be restored as soon as possible, it said, asking for full-on efforts to prevent major infectious diseases such as African swine fever and bird flu.

The country will ensure the smooth transport of farm produce through "green channels "set up for epidemic control and prevention supplies, with vehicles given priority and exempted from highway charges.

The notice said distribution companies and e-commerce platforms should fully play their roles in promoting the distribution and sale of farm produce.

It also called for stricter management on live poultry markets, including timely disinfection and cooperation with supervision, while strengthening supplies of other types of meat.

Production of animal feed, veterinary drugs and other livestock products should be restored as soon as possible, the notice said.

Companies that make products related to key epidemic prevention materials should be offered credit support in a timely manner, it said.