Families across China are hoarding provisions as the coronavirus tests the country’s ability to feed its 1.4 billion people, the New York Times reported this week.
With roads closed to traffic in many locations, food shipments are being delayed, complicating efforts to keep fresh items in stock. Poultry farmers also have warned that because of the transportation restrictions, low supplies of chicken feed are jeopardizing the lives of millions of birds, the report said.
Compounding those concerns, the government over the weekend said 4,500 chickens had died and 17,000 were culled due to an outbreak of highly pathogenic bird flu, the article said.
Chinese officials have pledged to keep food flowing to Wuhan, a city of 11 million people at the center of the outbreak and under lockdown. Ten thousand tons of frozen pork and 60,000 tons of vegetables have been stockpiled that could be sent to Wuhan, according to the report.
The article noted that with rising grocery prices already an issue due to the African swine fever epidemic, China’s Ministry of Agriculture has ordered the food industry to ramp up production as it recalls the inflation that played a role in protests leading to the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre.
White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow on Tuesday cautioned that the Phase One U.S.-China trade agreement “will take longer” to implement because of the coronavirus outbreak.