Chinese rush to stock up on food as government’s warning prompts confusion, brief panic-buying
- State media tries to reassure public that there are plentiful supplies of basic goods
- ‘It’s going to be a cold winter’, shopper says while loading up her rice, oil and other essential items
Beijing shoppers stocked up on cabbage, rice and flour for the winter on Wednesday, after the government urged people to keep stores of basic goods in case of emergencies, though it assured them that there were sufficient supplies after some panic-buying.
But the ministry’s advice to households to stock up on daily necessities in case of emergencies prompted significant confusion, sending some rushing to supermarkets to purchase extra supplies of cooking oil and rice.
China’s instructions also pushed up domestic edible oil futures, as well as Malaysian palm oil.
It’s going to be a cold winter; we want to make sure we have enough to eat
“It’s going to be a cold winter; we want to make sure we have enough to eat,” said one woman loading rice onto a bicycle outside a supermarket in central Beijing.
A long line formed at the supermarket’s cabbage stall, as people bought supplies of the vegetable that is traditionally stored at home and consumed over the winter months.
But many residents said there was no need to purchase more food than normal.
“There’s no need. Where could I stockpile vegetables at home? I get enough for my daily needs,” said a Beijing retiree surnamed Shi leaving another Beijing supermarket.
Others said they did not expect any shortages, particularly in the capital.
China’s regional economies face ‘grim, complex’ outlook
Government advice to residents to purchase supplies ahead of the winter is issued every year, said Ma Wenfeng, an analyst at AG Holdings Agricultural Consulting.
“It is necessary because there is often heavy snowfall in the winter … and it seems there will be some uncertainty about the weather conditions this year. So, I think this is quite a normal matter,” he said.
China’s National Meteorological Centre is predicting a plunge in temperatures over the weekend in the northwest, southwest and most central and eastern regions.
State media has sought to reassure the public that there are plentiful supplies of basic goods.
China’s state broadcaster, CCTV, reported on Tuesday that there had been an “over-interpretation” of the ministry’s advice.
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China urges citizens to stockpile ‘daily necessities’, sparking fears of food shortages
“Currently, the supply of daily necessities in various places is sufficient, and the supply should be fully guaranteed,” it quoted Zhu Xiaoliang, director of the ministry’s Department of Consumption Promotion, as saying.
Some cities, including Tianjin in the north and Wuhan farther south, have released winter vegetables from stockpiles for sale at lower prices in supermarkets.
But some panic-buying appeared to continue on Wednesday, with several people complaining online of empty supermarket shelves, attributed largely to a growing Covid-19 outbreak.
China food security: how’s it going and why’s it important?
China reported its highest number of new locally transmitted Covid-19 cases in almost three months on Wednesday, including nine new infections in Beijing, the biggest one-day increase in the capital this year.
“Even bulk rice has been stripped off,” said a resident in the southern city of Nanjing, writing on China’s microblog Weibo.
“There is uncertainty about the occurrence of the Covid-19 outbreaks. Once an outbreak occurs, people’s livelihoods will be affected. That’s why people are stocking up on winter supplies to avoid the impact of Covid-19,” said Ma at AG Holdings.
Chinese authorities typically respond to Covid-19 cases by locking down entire communities where they occur, restricting movement into and out of the affected areas.
