The General Department of State Reserves (GDSR) is set to complete this year’s purchasing of rice for national food reserves by August 15.

GDSR General Director Do Viet Duc said that, as of July 10, the agency had purchased 158,880 tonnes of husked rice and 60,200 tonnes of unhusked grain, equivalent to 83.5% and 75% of the respective targets for 2020.

It has strived to address the difficulties to ramp up food purchases for the national reserves at the Prime Minister’s request, so as to stay ready to perform tasks when necessary, he noted.

During the first half of this year, amid the COVID-19 outbreak, the GDSR worked with ministries and sectors to distribute food and other supplies worth over VND1 trillion (US$43.4 million) from national reserves to support frontline forces in fighting the disease and helping those affected stabilise their lives.