The trips are loaded with love…

Vegetable trucks

The days of September 2024 are unforgettable when storm No. 3 (Yagi) passed through the northern provinces of our country, causing very heavy damage to many localities. Many areas were submerged in water, isolated; many damages amounted to thousands of billions of VND, along with immeasurable pain...

But it was also during those difficult days that there were “sparks of fire” that warmed millions of Vietnamese hearts. One of them was the special trips – trips filled with love.

That was when the storm had just passed through the North, when the vegetable and fruit orchards were still green, the pig and chicken farms were about to be sold, and were suddenly hit by the storm and the wind, and submerged deep in floodwaters. That was also the time when the prices of vegetables and meat in the markets were constantly increasing. People in many storm-hit areas had not yet recovered from the shock of the rain and wind, and were hit by another "price storm". At that moment, the retail system immediately took action.

Accordingly, on September 8, just over a day after storm No. 3 passed, nearly 100 tons of essential vegetables were transported from the South and Lam Dong to the North every day. This is WinEco's effort to ensure the supply of vegetables for people, while also compensating for the shortage caused by damage to Northern farms after storm Yagi, especially popular vegetables such as Malabar spinach, Chinese cabbage, Chinese cabbage, squash, bitter melon, and many other items.

In addition, to ensure a stable supply of goods to the North until the end of the month, WinEco is stepping up production activities at farms in Lam Dong and the South to maintain stable output for the Northern market and stabilize prices for consumers after the impact of storm Yagi.

It is worth mentioning that at that time, transportation activities were not easy because the trucks encountered many obstacles due to flooding and landslides in the northern provinces. However, the "big guy" of the Vietnamese retail industry immediately implemented a timely solution by trying to transport and by all means ensure that the goods were not broken at the central warehouses, from there ready to distribute to supermarkets/stores. In addition, supermarkets and stores with large areas and easy delivery of goods were selected to be planned as pick-up points. The operating staff at these supermarkets/stores would receive the goods and bring them to supermarkets/stores that the trucks could not reach.

Despite all efforts to bring each bunch of vegetables to consumers, the retail price of Masan Group is still stable. This is considered a huge effort by Masan Group because at that time, 4 WinEco farms in the North including Ha Nam, Quang Ninh, Tam Dao and Hai Phong were completely destroyed, the fields were flooded, the garden houses collapsed, the roofs were peeled off and almost lost all production; Masan MEATLife's factory cluster in Ha Nam and the Bac Giang chicken farm were isolated.

MM Mega Market trucks gather in Da Lat (Lam Dong) to transport vegetables to the North (Photo: MM Mega Market)

Another retail business, MM Mega Market Vietnam, also immediately transported vegetables and fruits from Binh Duong and Lam Dong to the North at the same time as WinEco with a volume 3 times higher than normal to promptly supply to consumers in the North. The strong focus on building a closed supply chain is strongly reinforced by 5 purchasing and supplying stations, 2 large warehouses in Binh Duong, and 6 B2B delivery warehouses (Depots). For example, Depots from the Central region to the North such as Phan Thiet, Dong Hoi, Thanh Hoa, Sapa... have helped this retail channel have a stock of goods capable of supplying up to 1 month to the North, taking advantage of this opportunity to solve the "price fever" of vegetables and fruits in the North. In addition, the unit also has a system of small trucks delivering goods at Depots capable of transporting goods to neighboring areas.

Although it is inevitable that there will be difficulties due to the road conditions being cut off due to the impact of floods and rains in the North Central region, MM Mega Market still maintains a 3-fold increase in quantity to promptly supply the North. In particular, on the trips to the mountainous areas in the North such as Lang Son, Lao Cai... in addition to vegetables and fruits serving the points of sale, there are also instant noodles, cakes, ready-to-eat foods... that the staff of this supermarket chain send to the isolated areas to partly share the difficulties with the people who are still struggling with storms and floods.

In addition to the above two retail channels, other supermarkets such as Saigon Coop, Go, Big C also strive to supply the market with the fastest and most complete supply of essential goods, not only with a commitment to unchanged prices but also with many discount promotions. The efforts of these retail channels have helped consumers have another channel to shop for goods with guaranteed quality and price, encouraging consumers in a timely manner during the price storm.

The mail truck is loaded with love.

Also during the big storm, a noteworthy information is that all relief goods for localities affected by storm No. 3 will be transported completely free of charge through the Vietnam Post system.

Accordingly, from September 11, Vietnam Post in coordination with the Vietnam Red Cross Society organized a program to support free transportation of relief goods to localities heavily affected by storm No. 3, including: Hai Phong, Quang Ninh, Yen Bai, Bac Giang, Lang Son, Thai Nguyen, Cao Bang, Bac Kan, Son La, Lao Cai, Phu Tho, Tuyen Quang.

Vietnam Post transports relief goods free of charge (Photo: Vietnam Post)

According to the latest update from Vietnam Post, as of September 13, Vietnam Post has transported free of charge more than 8,800 relief parcels with a weight equivalent to more than 95.1 tons. Goods are transported from all over the country to localities affected by storms and floods, in which the localities sending the most relief goods are Ca Mau, Ho Chi Minh City, Ha Tinh, Binh Phuoc, Binh Duong...

With a dedicated postal vehicle system, the participation of a “big player” in the logistics industry in transporting relief goods not only helps goods quickly reach flood-affected areas but also contributes to ensuring that goods arrive safely and with absolute reliability.

Remember in 2019, during the most complicated time of the Covid-19 pandemic, Vietnam Post was also one of the two postal enterprises actively participating in transporting essential goods to quarantine points due to the pandemic. The postal system spanning 63 provinces and cities also became a point of sale for essential goods, promptly serving people during the "pandemic storm". Currently, when storm No. 3 is raging, the trucks with the yellow logo of Vietnam Post continue to run into the "eye of the storm", promptly delivering essential goods, sending love and solidarity to people still struggling in the flood.

Storm No. 3 hit, leaving behind aftershocks, loss, and pain in terms of people and property for our country, but also left behind touching stories of solidarity, compassion, and mutual support in times of hardship and adversity. In the fierce storm, the spirit of solidarity, “mutual love and support”, “the whole leaf covers the torn leaf”, and love for compatriots shined even brighter. Vietnamese people, regardless of their profession or job, are all looking towards the North with the most love and sharing. The storm and flood will pass, the pain and loss will gradually subside, but the heart, the sharing, and solidarity will be images that will remain forever. Among them, there will certainly be images of vegetable trucks, mail trucks filled with deep affection…