Coronavirus: don’t hoard rice in panic as ample supply is available in Hong Kong, importer says
- Anthony Lam says government’s rice reserve and industry’s own stockpile are enough to meet city’s demand for more than a month
- Consumer Council takes to social media to urge Hongkongers not to hoard tissue rolls, as the commodity should be stored in a dry and ventilated space
Anthony Lam Sai-ho, a rice importer and member of the Trade and Industry Department’s Customer Liaison Group for Rice, has a message for Hongkongers who have swept staple goods off supermarket shelves recently – do not panic.
While residents had seen rice, toilet rolls, instant noodles and even sanitary pads disappear faster than they could be restocked amid the outbreak of the deadly coronavirus that causes Covid-19, ample supply was available in Hong Kong, he said.
Speaking to the Post, Lam said the government’s rice reserve plus the industry’s own stockpile would be sufficient to meet the city’s demand for more than a month.
But even if Hong Kong needs urgent shipments, rice imports could be made within 10 days or less as the staple is largely sourced from Southeast Asia.
“So, don’t panic,” he said on Wednesday. “The panic shopping happened at the wrong place, at the wrong time.”