City to ensure food supplies for holiday

The city government says it can ensure food and vegetable supplies for Spring Festival and during the current COVID-19 situation.

“Shanghai’s food supplies are stable so far and price fluctuations are in a normal range, and the Shanghai Commission of Commerce is taking measures to ensure food supplies during the virus resurgence and the upcoming Spring Festival holiday,” said Liu Min, deputy director of the commission, told a news conference on Monday.

Liu said more people would be staying in Shanghai because of the pandemic, instead of going back to their hometowns during the holiday.

The national government is calling for Chinese working away from their hometowns to stay where they were working during the holiday to reduce infection risks. Anyone planning to return to their hometowns should have a certificate to say they have tested negative for the virus.

Liu said the city can ensure pork supplies with a market of more than 10,000 pigs per day in collaboration with 127 slaughter houses in 16 provinces.

As for vegetables, the Shanghai Vegetable Group that supplies 70 percent of the city’s vegetables, 60 percent of its pork and 50 percent of its fruit, had also enhanced contacts with suppliers across the country.

The company can supply 7,000 tons of vegetables per day, and will increase that to 8,000 tons during the Spring Festival period. Normally 400 tons of vegetables are enough for the first day of the Lunar New Year, according to Gu Zhengbin, manager of the Jiangqiao Wholesale Market and a vice president of Shanghai Vegetable Group.

In addition, more than 800 produce markets, 2,100 supermarkets and major e-commerce fresh food retailers will remain open to ensure supplies during the holiday.