China’s vegetable production is “basically normal” and it has enough wheat to meet demand for one-and-a-half years, agriculture officials said yesterday, in a further effort to reassure the public there is no need to worry about shortages.
Shoppers rushed to stock up on staples this week after the Chinese Ministry of Commerce advised the public to make sure they had enough daily necessities at home in case of emergencies.
Supermarkets in various cities around the nation saw flour, rice and other food items flying off the shelves.
Photo: EPA-EFE
Despite a recent increase in the price of spinach, lettuce and other leafy vegetables due to extreme weather, the area and output of other major varieties had slightly increased, Tang Ke (唐珂), director-general of the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs’ market and informatization department, told reporters.
“The total supply is sufficient, so consumers don’t need to worry,” he said.
China is expected to produce 750 million tonnes of vegetables this year, an increase of 1 percent, Tang added, providing a possible 1.5kg a day per person.
Rice and wheat crops increased this year and the output of China’s main staples exceeded consumption, said Liu Lihua (劉利華), deputy director at the ministry’s planting management department.
China also has plenty of grain in state reserves, she added, with wheat stocks enough to cover consumption for one-and-a-half years.
China also processes enough rice noodles a day to meet the whole population’s consumption for two days, she said.
“Even when the domestic COVID-19 epidemic was at its worst last year, there was abundant supply of grain in supermarkets,” Liu said.
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