China's Commerce Ministry asks citizens to stock up amid tight Covid curbs

Beijing: China’s Commerce Ministry has asked local authorities to encourage households to keep certain stocks of daily necessities like meat and vegetables in the upcoming winter and spring to meet any emergency. It has raised concerns among some residents about a potential lack of food amid reports of panic buying. 

The notice by the Ministry came amid ongoing Corona virus lockdowns and concerns over vegetable supplies after unusually heavy rain damaged crops and COVID-19 outbreak has led to some lockdowns and intra-provincial travel restrictions across 14 provinces including in the capital, Beijing. Amid reports of disturbed supply chains during lockdowns in some areas, the notice also asked local authorities to keep supply chains running smoothly and prices stable. 

Vegetable prices have soared in China in recent weeks and creating another headache for consumers already hit by power shortages and strict virus curbs. The price rise was so strong that China’s Agriculture Ministry last month pledged to crack down on vegetable hoarding, to ensure stable supplies.

However, the Commerce Ministry’s notice made no mention of an ongoing food shortage or of whether the instructions were motivated by fears that anti-COVID



measures could disrupt supply chains or leave locked-down citizens in need of food. State media tried to calm down the public sentiments saying that the directive’s purpose was to make sure citizens were not caught off guard, if there was a lockdown in their area. The state planning body has also called for the timely replanting of vegetables, urging local governments to support fast-growing produce, according to state media reports.

As per reports, recent extreme weather in many growing regions has damaged crops and led to soaring vegetable and meat prices. Low temperatures and rainy weather in growing provinces including Shandong, Shanxi, Henan and Hebei have affected vegetable output in the autumn, according to a report released by investment bank China International Capital Corp. Ltd. yesterday. 

Heavy rainfall in major growing regions this year damaged crops and soaring coal prices also made greenhouse farming more expensive. Also, rising transport costs amid the COVID-19 pandemic have buoyed vegetable prices. Meanwhile, China is continuing to use strict lockdowns to tackle Corona virus outbreak. The country hopes to reach zero infections before it hosts the Winter Olympics in February.