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Queuing in a supermarket in Beijing: water supplies against the crisis?
Photo: WU HONG / EPA
The request from the Ministry of Commerce was probably well meant, but it went beyond the target: First, in view of possible supply bottlenecks due to corona outbreaks and heavy rainfall, the Chinese government advised families to stock up on everyday goods.
But now the public reaction forced the state media to appease and clarify the instruction.
The Economic Daily wrote that the call was intended to ensure that citizens would not be caught unprepared in the event of a lockdown.
According to the People's Daily, the ministry issues such notices every year, but this time it has issued instructions due to natural disasters, rising vegetable prices and the corona outbreaks.
The ministry's statement late Monday evening urged local authorities to do a good job of ensuring supplies and price stability.
The topic boiled up on social media. "As soon as this news broke, all the old people in my area were panicking in the supermarket," wrote a user on China's Twitter-like short message service Weibo. Local media recently published lists of recommended supplies for the home, including cookies and instant noodles, vitamins, radios, and flashlights.
Typically, the government makes extra efforts to improve supplies of fresh vegetables and pork before China's New Year celebrations. The public holiday falls on the beginning of February in 2022. But this year these efforts have become even more urgent after extreme weather conditions destroyed crops in Shandong - the largest vegetable growing region in the country - in early October. Corona outbreaks, which extend from the northwest to the northeast of the country, also threaten to disrupt the food supply.
Last week the prices for cucumbers, spinach and broccoli more than doubled compared to the beginning of October.
At 2.25 euros per kilogram, spinach was more expensive than some parts of pork.
Although prices have fallen again in the past few days, economists expect the inflation rate to rise significantly in October.
According to a report on state television late Monday evening, China is also planning to release vegetable reserves "at an appropriate time" to counter rising prices.
It is not clear what types of vegetables China has in store and how big these stocks are.
The state planning authority has called for vegetable fields to be replanted in good time and called on local governments to support fast-growing products.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, around 6.7 million hectares are planted with vegetables in China.
mic / Reuters