The Mizoram government is making massive efforts to ensure that urban areas do not face a crisis vis-à-vis vegetable supply in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

State horticulture department director Elizabeth Saipari told reporters on Tuesday that the government has launched a vegetable supply chain under the initiative of chief minister Zoramthanga to ensure sufficient supply of vegetables to city dwellers from rural areas.

She said more than 40 trucks, fully loaded with vegetables, have arrived in Aizawl on Tuesday morning. This will last for two to three weeks.

Four days earlier, about 18 trucks carrying vegetables had also been brought to Aizawl from Serchhip, she said.

Saipari said vegetables were transported from several villages across the state.

“The government is making massive efforts to ensure that residents of Aizawl do not face shortage,” she said, adding that Mizoram has sufficient vegetables of local produce to last till mid-April.

According to the director, the horticulture department has been tasked with identifying availability of vegetables and facilitation of supply from rural villages.

She said the Mizoram State Cooperative Marketing and Consumers’ Federation Ltd (MIZOFED) is looking after purchase and sale and distributed it to local-level task forces systematically. She claimed that the process has immensely benefited local farmers, as they have opportunity to directly sell their produce.

Saipari said massive efforts are being made to install a 100 metric-tonne cold storage at Sairang near Aizawl.

She said the cold chain system has been put up in at least four places across the state.

Ruling Mizo National Front (MNF) legislator and horticulture development board vice-chairman Prof. Lalnunmawia rubbished the allegation that vegetables are sold at exorbitant rates.

He said the allegation was baseless as the government follows “no gain no loss” system to sell vegetables to consumers at cheaper rates.