Written by Bernie Carr
Just a quick post today, as I pass along some information that caught my attention.
The Ministry of Commerce in China issued a notice telling households to store necessities for everyday life and emergencies. This caused a frenzy of panic buying.
They stripped shelves bare, and the queue for the checkout took up to two hours.
There was also chaos in Qidong City, where shops sold out of rice and some people reported being robbed for their groceries on the way home.
Communist party officials were forced to appeal for calm and assured citizens there were no shortages or supply problems.
The government-owned Economic Daily newspaper warned readers not to let their imagination run wild with fears of an invasion.
It explaining the ministry advice was meant for people who might find themselves suddenly locked down under Covid measures.
SOURCE: New York Post
There was widespread speculation going on that to stockpile food was related to the potential outbreak of war with Taiwan.
As a result of the panic buying, the Chinese government had to issue assurances that all areas have adequate supplies.
On Tuesday, the ministry’s director of consumption promotion, Zhu Xiaoliang, assured people there was no imminent threat to food supply.
“Looking at the current situation, all regions have an adequate supply of daily necessities, the supply should be completely guaranteed,” Zhu said in an interview with state broadcaster CCTV.
The Economic Daily, a state newspaper, also tried to calm online speculation by saying the intention of the notice was to make sure people were prepared for lockdowns or quarantine due to new coronavirus outbreaks.
SOURCE: China Macro Economy
To be clear, there really are food shortages in China. Severe cold weather, floods, and a tornado damaged crops in Shandong, their largest vegetable growing region this past October. This caused the prices of broccoli, cucumbers, and spinach to double soon after.
Avoid panic buying
One can’t help but wonder whether this will affect us. The shortages are a global problem. The U.S. does import a lot of food from China (in addition to imports from Canada, Mexico, France, Italy).
Prepare little by little, so you don’t get alarmed when shortages happen. Imagine those people who got robbed of their groceries on their way home from the market!
You don’t have to run out and buy a ton of stuff all at once. Just pick up an extra one or two items you use all the time every time you shop. If you build your stockpile, you’ll protect your family in case of disaster, shortage and save money as well.
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About the author
Bernie Carr is the founder of Apartment Prepper. She has written several books including the best-selling Prepper’s Pocket Guide, Jake and Miller’s Big Adventure, The Penny-Pinching Prepper and How to Prepare for Most Emergencies on a $50 a Month Budget. Bernie’s latest e-book, FRUGAL DIY has just been released on Amazon. Her work appears in sites such as the Allstate Blog and Clark.com, as well as print magazines such as Backwoods Survival Guide and Prepper Survival Guide. She has been featured in national publications such as Fox Business and Popular Mechanics. Learn more about Bernie here.
