China urges people to stockpile food in the face of possible shortages

The Government of China has urged the population on Tuesday to stockpile food and all those products that they may need in case of an emergency in the face of winter in the face of a possible shortage caused by meteorological phenomena and outbreaks of coronavirus.

In a statement, the Ministry of Commerce has asked not to “react excessively” to such information, although it has urged the population to be cautious so as not to be “caught off guard in the event of a confinement in the area in which you reside.

The directive of the Ministry has come after the population before possible cuts in supplies.

Vegetable prices have skyrocketed in China in recent weeks, creating a situation unthinkable a few months ago: some vegetables are already more expensive than meat. Restaurants and stores would be stockpiling large amounts of goods, using freezers and refrigerators. This phenomenon is a new headache for consumers who are already affected by energy shortages and strict measures to contain the virus.

Wholesale vegetable prices have soared 28% in the last four weeks, and are now at the highest level since February, the latest data from the Ministry of Commerce shows. Heavy rains in the main producing regions this year have damaged crops, while rising coal prices have also made greenhouse farming more expensive.

The Government usually issues similar directives every year

The newspaper The People’s Daily, for its part, has spread a reassuring message and has assured that the Government usually issues similar directives every year, although this year “it has been brought forward” given the prevalence of natural disasters and the advance of the virus.

The government has also urged local authorities to “do a good job” of ensuring that the supply chain and prices are maintained. The coronavirus pandemic has caused an increase in food concerns on the part of the Government, which has drawn up a series of laws on food safety.

“The directive invites local authorities to support the circulation of products to establish cooperative relationships with producers of vegetables, rice and oil, among others,” the document indicates. “Those products that can withstand must be supplied with time and stored,” the Government has insisted.