Wuhan Pneumonia 0319"Panic buying of supplies nationwide, yet leafy vegetables alone won't sell, farm-gate prices down to just 40% of last year, farmers urge everyone to eat more vegetables

As COVID-19 (commonly known as Wuhan pneumonia) continues to rage, domestic confirmed cases surpassed 100 yesterday (the 18th), and a wave of panic buying of supplies has begun across the country. Rice and processed canned goods are the hottest items, and sales of storable root vegetables have also risen, yet short-cycle leafy vegetables are selling poorly. Especially with demand from restaurants and retail channels sharply reduced, farm-gate transaction prices keep opening lower, at only 40% of the price in the same period last year.

Farmers report that the depressed vegetable prices have led to chaos on multiple fronts, including cabbage sent to Kaohsiung falling to 1.5 yuan per kilogram, and spinach sent to the auction market fetching a transaction price of "zero." In Yunlin, the country's largest leafy vegetable production area, some farmers have used herbicide to plow their vegetables directly back into the fields. Farmers urge everyone to eat more vegetables to strengthen their health and support farmers.

Council of Agriculture: Normal consumption is enough to keep supply adequate; please do not panic-buy

Council of Agriculture Deputy Minister Chen Chun-chi explained that the panic buying across the country is caused by public fear, which has made buying outpace stores' restocking speed, leading to shortages of some supplies. "If people maintain normal purchasing, there will be no shortage; supply is absolutely sufficient."

Chen Chun-chi said that rice is currently the most heavily panic-bought item. The Council of Agriculture currently has 905,000 metric tons of rice in stock, which is expected to cover 5 to 9 months without problem. After May, the first rice crop will be harvested one after another, estimated to yield another 900,000 metric tons of rice, and the council will subsequently contact grain merchants and channel operators.

On fishery products, Chen Chun-chi explained that the most heavily panic-bought fishery product is canned mackerel, but the mackerel raw material needed to make canned mackerel is in ample supply at fish markets across the country, and in the future the council will strengthen contact with food factories to boost production capacity for supply.

On meat, Chen Chun-chi said that there are currently more than 30,000 frozen hogs in the Livestock Production Council's cold storage, within the safe inventory range and able to be supplied normally. "Border controls only restrict people, not goods; all goods and raw materials are moving in and out normally."

Channel sales soar, distribution and replenishment to be adjusted to the highest specification

Tsai Tu-chang, general manager of PX Mart Co., Ltd., the largest chain fresh supermarket in Taiwan, China, said that since 2 p.m. the day before yesterday, the number of people coming into stores nationwide has kept increasing. Unlike typhoon days, when people panic-buy out of fear of price increases, this time most people are buying with a long-term battle in mind, mostly purchasing storable rice, root vegetables, canned goods and dried goods.

"Food has a shelf life, so just buy as much as you need to eat." Tsai Tu-chang said that PX Mart's task is to meet every customer's needs, but the current distribution and replenishment speed cannot keep up with consumers. The company will adjust logistics and delivery staffing as much as possible, and asks the public not to panic.

"Yesterday's sales were three times normal; weekday revenue directly surpassed holiday revenue. This is unprecedented." Carrefour public relations spokesperson Chang Chun-hung said that yesterday large crowds poured into northern stores, and even by the time business ended at 11 p.m., the checkout lines were still long. Today some administrative staff at the head office even had to go to various stores to provide support.

Chang Chun-hung said that in addition to physical stores, online orders yesterday also set a new record, reaching more than 14,000 orders. Purchases were concentrated in dried goods, heated foods and ready-to-eat items such as prepared meal packs. Panic buying of fresh foods was slightly slower, but sales of longer-storing items such as potatoes, carrots, cucumbers, Chinese cabbage, baby corn and pineapples also increased rapidly.