Lessons learnt from Covid-19 for the feed industry

In mid-March International Aquafeed had the opportunity to talk to Dr Defa Li, the President of the Chinese Feed Association about maintaining food supplies to a city of 8.4 million people locked-down for over one month as it faced the reality of an epidemic from COVID-19 and what procedures had to be adopted to support families in their homes.

Dr Defa Li, who is also the Director of Academic Committee of State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, a member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, Professor of the College of Animal Science and Technology at the China Agricultural University, specialises in research and basic study of China’s feed resources.
 

International Aquafeed put several questions to him as the government gained control of the COVID-19 virus in Wuhan in particular, as well as its surrounding populated areas in Hubei Province.

Is Wuhan an important food production region?
Wuhan is the provincial capital city of Hubei and is located in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River which has allowed this area to develop significant agriculture production including livestock production. Hubei is in the top 10 provinces for feed production in China. Hubei is also the most important producing area for canola, rapeseed meal, honey and freshwater fish in China.

In regard to managing food supplies, did the government arrange food supplies to families quickly enough and without problems?

Overall, the supplies of food to families went smoothly under the arrangement and supervision of both the central government and the local government in Wuhan.

Firstly, there were abundant goods and materials transported to Wuhan, as well as other areas in Hubei from provinces all over China, to ensure the enough supplies were available during the lockdown.

Secondly, a system of distribution was created in Wuhan, on the basis of residential communities, which meant that all the supplies were directly distributed to each residential community based on the population in that community, and the staff and volunteers in the community sent food and daily necessities to each apartment.

Thirdly, some digital apps were used to help order food and necessities from nearby supermarkets and stores that were still open, and couriers delivered those goods through the above system to communities. With such systems, it can both ensure the supplies to families and help a lockdown control the epidemic.

Read more, HERE.

The Aquaculturists

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