Consumers shop at a supermarket in Xiangfang District, Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Jan. 25, 2021. Heilongjiang authorities have been making continuous efforts to ensure food supply amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. (Xinhua/Wang Song)

Several Chinese officials from various departments over the weekend sought to reassure consumers that the country has ample supply of food and essential items, as many cities face new COVID-19 flare-ups and two major events are quickly approaching. 

China has a sufficient supply of food at stable prices to fully meet the needs of urban and rural residents during the upcoming Spring Festival holidays and the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games, a senior official at the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs said over the weekend.

Analysts noted that due to recent flare-ups of COVID-19 in many places across China, ensuring the supply and price stability of daily necessities during the coming two important events is of great importance for the country. 

Liu Han, a senior official of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, said that in 2021, China had a fruitful grain harvest, with output increasing 2 percent year-on-year to 136.57 billion jin (68.28 billion kilograms), hitting a new high.

Grain storage across the country remains abundant, with rice and wheat accounting for more than 70 percent of the total storage, according to Liu. Over the next three months, the total supply of vegetables is expected to reach 170 million tons, an increase of 3.5 million tons year-on-year. 

This amount could provide 1.5 kilograms of vegetables per person per day, if winter vegetable storage is included.

Wang Bin, a senior official of the Ministry of Commerce, said that according to a preliminary survey, China has sufficient reserves of essential goods, and the stocking of distributors has increased by about 30 percent compared with normal levels.

According to the Ministry of Commerce, prices of food and oil in the wholesale market remained unchanged on Friday compared with the week prior, while pork prices fell 3.3 percent and the average prices of 30 kinds of vegetables dropped 0.8 percent.

Xu Zhengbin, an official at the National Development and Reform Commission, said that authorities will further support the provision of essential goods in epidemic-affected areas, including Xi'an in Northwest China's Shaanxi Province and North China's Tianjin Municipality. 

According to an article released by Audio Tianjin, after COVID-19 cases were reported in the city, the local government organized more than 40 supermarkets to lead point-to-point distribution and supply of essential goods for the neighborhoods under closed-loop management as well as increase stockpiling, in a bid to ensure sufficient supply and stable prices for Tianjin residents.

Central China's Henan Province, which also faces a new COVID-19 flare-up, issued a statement to ensure the smooth flow of vehicles transporting essential goods across the province. 

According to the local commerce department, the province had an overall sufficient supply of essential goods, and prices basically remained stable.

Global Times