The knock-on effect of the new crown pneumonia epidemic has already spread to the shipping industry. Hong Kong McDonald’s announced earlier that it would suspend the supply of crispy chicken wings due to delays in shipping schedules.
But the food affected is of course not only chicken wings. Tomorrow (21st) is the Mid-Autumn Festival on the 15th day of the lunar calendar. Fruits are used as food for the festive season. The price of fruits will inevitably rise this year.
The owner of the Yau Ma Tei fruit bar revealed that most of the Mid-Autumn Festival fruits this year were shipped to Hong Kong by air in order to avoid delays in shipping. Among them, the price of a crystal pear was increased by as much as 30%.
"In the past, the green crystal pears were not transported by ship, but for decades they have been transported by ship. This year is unprecedented! Almost all arrived by air."
+2
McDonald's Crispy Chicken Wings Shipping Delay Suspends Supply
McDonald's in Hong Kong announced earlier that it would suspend the supply of crispy chicken wings, which made many citizens feel thunderbolt.
In fact, in the current global supply chain chaos and shipping delays, the catering industry around the world is suffering from shocks, and the shortage of meat such as chicken wings is everywhere.
And the following Mid-Autumn Festival on August 15 of the lunar calendar will inevitably be affected as well.
When it comes to Mid-Autumn Festival, in addition to watching the moon and eating moon cakes, fruit is also an indispensable food for the festival.
However, entering the second year of the new crown pneumonia epidemic, its knock-on effects have spread to the fruit industry.
Since the Ghost Festival in July of the lunar calendar is not suitable for gifts, the half month before the Mid-Autumn Festival is the most "prosperous" time of the year in the fruit industry. But what impact will shipping delays bring to them?
Crystal Pear has changed to air freight for the first time in decades
The proprietor of "Zhishenglan", Mr. Gan, revealed that it would take two weeks to dismantle the containers that had originally arrived in Southeast Asia on the 5th day.
However, the fruit has a fresh-keeping period, so it should not be left for too long, otherwise it will erode money in disguise after it rots.
He said that most of the fruits for the Mid-Autumn Festival this year were transported to Hong Kong by air, and the transportation fees were of course expensive.
Gan takes "Tottori 20th Century Crystal Pears in Japan" as an example. It means that the wholesale price has increased by 20 to 30%, from about 500 to 700 yuan per box for shipping to 800 to 1,000 yuan for air transportation.
In addition, other countries, such as the crystal pears produced in South Korea, have also increased their prices due to air freight.
"In the past, the green crystal pears were not transported by ship, but for decades they were transported by ship. This year is unprecedented! Almost all of them arrive by air. So there is no way. This year, you have to eat more expensively.
In fact, the fruit is transported by air to Hong Kong, which is the last resort of the industry.
In addition to worrying about the shelf life of fruits, "festival" is also an important factor.
Gan pointed out that a box of shipping 20th century crystal pears can be sold for about 800 yuan before the holiday, but even if it sells for about 500 yuan after the holiday, customers may not be willing to buy it.
"You know that a ship arrives in Hong Kong, but you have to wait a week to dismantle the cabinets. You are helpless! It is better to travel by plane, at least the goods will arrive."
Air freight will be passed on to consumers
Chen Jinhui, the head of Yongfu Food Company in Kowloon City, also said that air freight charges are even higher than the actual goods, with an increase of about 20 to 30%.
He also confessed that the price of fruits in the store can only increase by 30%, hoping to maintain business with the policy of small profits but quick turnover.
"There is no way to pass it on to the consumers. It is always very expensive to pay for the goods. Don't talk about the fruit, two or three times are not surprising."
Chamber of Commerce urges citizens not to worry about fruit shortages
Fruit wholesalers are more sympathetic to the situation in recent months. Zhang Zhixiang, chairman of the Kowloon Fruit and Vegetable Chamber of Commerce, pointed out that the shipping delay has had a serious impact on the industry. The price increase of crystal pears and other fruits is inevitable. As far as he knows, the container that used to be about US$3,000 (approximately HK$23,400) has recently been fetched to more than US$10,000.
But will the fruit be out of stock like crispy chicken wings?
He urged the public not to worry, because there is no fixed production location for the fruit, wholesalers can pick up the goods from all over the world according to seasonal changes, and they can also be transported by air to Hong Kong instead.
"We have a lot of fruit lines, and I will go to Chile and Peru later, and there are fruits in South America."
Mid-Autumn Festival ｜Pingman Restaurant launches early bird discount by 17% at Michelin Restaurant. Mid-Autumn Festival lighting at Victoria Park, Sha Tin Park and Tin Shui Wai Park will be lit on Friday. No performances will be held during the Mid-Autumn Festival. Prohibition of gathering wax or lighting lanterns can be prosecuted for Mid-Autumn Festival 2021 | Category D restaurants have rapidly increased to nearly a thousand restaurants: the number of bookings has risen by about 20% compared with last year
01News