Regions rush to Shanghai's rescue with food supplies
Fresh meat, fruits and vegetables from all corners of China are arriving in Shanghai to ensure local supplies amid the staggered COVID-19 lockdown, as the city is battling a resurgence of the pandemic.
Jinshan District's black-haired sows
Pu'er, Yunnan Province
Shanghai's suburban Jinshan District paired with Pu'er City in 1996 in a poverty alleviation drive. Jinshan, known for its rich agricultural resources, sent more than 100 black-haired sows from its Fengjing ancient town to the Ning'er Hani and Yi Autonomous County, believed to be perfect to raise pigs in free range.
It has proved to be wise decision. Though it's about 2,700 kilometers from Shanghai, the pigs have quickly assimilated with the local environment.
The industry has grown so well that Jinshan-based Shanghai Qiangfeng Company, a major food supplier in Shanghai, has set up a food company covering the whole supply chain, with expected consumption more than 50,000 pigs a year.
So, when news of Shanghai's phased lockdown began, Qiangfeng soon mobilized workers in Ning'er to prepare 150 pigs, almost equivalent to 12,500 kilograms of meat. It took more than 48 hours to send the meat to Jinshan.
The company's general manager Wu Lianqiang has flown to Ning'er. He plans to supply more than 1,000 pigs to Shanghai every day even while dealing with challenges such as cold-chain storage, Wu stated.
Vegetables from Chuxiong, Yunnan Province, arrive in Shanghai.
Chuxiong, Yunnan
A truck loaded with 14.5 tons of fresh vegetables set off from Chuxiong Yi Autonomous Prefecture in Yunnan before dawn on March 27. Driving nearly non-stop for more than 30 hours, it arrived at its destination – Shanghai's Jing'an District about 2,300 kilometers away.
The fresh vegetables were promptly put on shelves in local wet markets, priced at 7 yuan (US$1.1) per kilogram on average.
"Shanghai has been helping Yunnan for so many years, from poverty alleviation to rural revitalization. Yunnan people feel so grateful," proclaimed Yang Jinzhi, Party chief of the Chuxiong supply cooperative.
"When Jing'an needs us, we should spare no effort to stand with it to battle the pandemic," he added.
Within two days, 14.5 kilograms of vegetables, including baby cabbage, lettuce and cauliflower, were picked from the fields, cleaned, packaged and sent to Jing'an.
"We have to ensure that the vegetables sent to Jing'an are of the highest quality," Tang Song, who was in the truck to make sure of safe transportation. "There were two drivers. They took shifts every four hours to ensure the vegetables reached Jing'an as soon as possible.
"Please be assured! We always stand behind you! We are already preparing the next truck!"
Trucks loaded with vegetables arrive Jing'an District.
Yiling, Hubei Province
Yiling, too, didn't hesitate to mobilize local farmers and entrepreneurs to collect food for virus-hit Shanghai.
Within four days, it gathered 43 tons of local iconic produces including rice, orange and sweet potato-made snacks. It took nearly 24 hours for the goods to arrive in Shanghai.
"We bring with us the care and love of 600,000 Yilin people," Zhao Feng, deputy director of Yiling, remarked.
When the food arrived in Shanghai, 11 officers from Yichang's local liaison office volunteered to distribute them to communities.
Farmers in Dujiangyan, Sichuan Province, pose with the vegetables that were transported to Shanghai.
Dujiangyan, Sichuan Province
Shanghai's friendship with Dujiangyan City in Sichuan Province began in 2008 during the devastating Wenchuan earthquake when the eastern metropolis spared no effort to help the hard-hit Dujiangyan rebuild homes.
"Shanghai has made a lot of contribution to Dujiangyan. Now it's our turn to contribute to Shanghai," Feng Anfen, a local resident at Tianma Town, pointed out. She was among nearly 100 volunteers who picked vegetables from the fields on March 28.
"My neighbors and I came up very early to help pick vegetables because we heard we were helping Shanghai people," Feng revealed. "We didn't take rest because we wanted Shanghai people to get fresh vegetables as soon as possible."
That night, 10 trucks loaded with more than 127 tons of vegetables, including spring bamboo shoots, cabbages and scallions, set off from Dujiangyan. The food was bound for the Pudong New Area, which is now under full lockdown.
The vegetable truck leaves Dujiangyan for Pudong in Shanghai.
Yangtze River Delta
Neighboring regions in the Yangtze River Delta have also acted to lend support in these trying times.
Taicang City in Jiangsu Province has transported 15 tons of seasonal vegetables, including greens, spinach and bean sprout, to suburban Jiading District.
Lu'an City in Anhui Province has sent more than 160 tons of vegetables, including cucumber, broccoli and gourd, to suburban Songjiang District.
Yongchang Town in Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang Province, has sent 50,000 kilograms of spring bamboo shoots to Shanghai. According to the township government, from March 28, it would send spring bamboo shoots for ten consecutive days to ensure Shanghai people get a taste of "spring."
Regions reaching out to help Shanghai
