The shelves are going empty

[Debp]

 

7 hours ago, warrior12 said:

What is the age you are considered or identified as a senior citizen.  

I think one can pass as a senior citizen at 60.    Some restaurants even consider 55 for a senior citizen discount.

I just got home from Target.   Shelves still bare in some areas.   I asked if they had TP in the stockroom....no they didn't.    They started handing it out from there, one package each, so you have to ask.

I told someone about them handing it out from the stockroom but she forgot!   So she saw everyone else with toilet tissue....but saw empty shelves so she thought they were out of it.   So she then went to Walgreens and had to pay $10.50 for six rolls!!

[ladypeartree]

I thought most countries had made it illegal to inflate prices at this time ????  Those shops that are doing this should be shunned when things return to normal 

[Debp]

2 minutes ago, ladypeartree said:

I thought most countries had made it illegal to inflate prices at this time ????  Those shops that are doing this should be shunned when things return to normal 

Yes, it is illegal to price gouge.   Maybe the toilet paper she bought was the mega rolls.   A particular brand is more expensive....I never buy it.   Of course, right now I still have sufficient rolls.

Was glad the other day to find a couple of boxes of Kleenex! 

[luigi]

I'm in the Yonkers, NY area, and when I went to the supermarket this morning, there were like a hundred people in line in the pouring rain before the market even opened. You would think that after about a month, their pantries would already be overflowing with toilet tissue. 

[Jostler]

I hope people are beginning to understand our shopping habits are not going to return to normal.  I think we've seen a rebound in many product categories that were simply unobtainium at the height of the first wave of panic.  I hope people are consciously educating themselves on the likely long term changes and use that understanding to be preparing for round two.....and the new normal beyond that.

 

World's Largest Pork Producer Shutters Key US Factory After COVID-19 Outbreak, Warns Of Shortages

 

This one meatpacking plant prepares over 4% of the US daily pork supply for consumption.  And this is a story that has been developing for at least a couple of weeks, this is not the only meatpacking plant that has been shuttered or forced to reduce production significantly.  Other potential threats to the regular supply of meat to supermarket shelves are developing in the wings right now too and bear watching.  H7N3 has been confirmed in one SC turkey farm, and they may have detected it and eliminated the flock early enough to contain it.  Given that we're in the season when migratory birds are moving south to north in volume, it bears watching.

[Debp]

I heard that farmers are having to throw away or plow under many crops.   They say that the food banks are unable to handle the tremendous amount of crops they have.  

Did anyone else hear this?

[luigi]

1 hour ago, Debp said:

I heard that farmers are having to throw away or plow under many crops.   They say that the food banks are unable to handle the tremendous amount of crops they have.  

Did anyone else hear this?

I have heard this. It seems that much of the food farmers produce goes to large institutions which are now currently closed. Examples: restaurants and cruise lines among others.

Some of the farms are therefore either plowing under their crops, and, or donating them to charities. And with millions (if not tens of millions of people) newly unemployed, along with their families without any means to purchase food, the food lines at food banks throughout the country have experienced exponential growth. 

[LonerAndy]

On 3/15/2020 at 3:27 PM, warrior12 said:

This thread is mainly about updates to people from all over to describe the situation in their part of the world or country.  It is not for fear mongering or such, but as this situation is live, we can get a general idea of how people lives are being affected and are their goods and services available to them.

I just went out to get some fruits and maybe pickup a few cans of whatever that can be last for a while on the shelve at home.   Well all the toilet paper are gone. Yesterday there were places that you can still find the expensive brands around, but they are all gone and the bleach and hand sanitizes are disappearing too.

Some grocery and vegetables I see are not restocked as yet and well I guess will have to wait till my next visit to see the updates.  Don't know if this is a panic buying and things will eventually return to near normal as people can only horde so much .   This is in my little quarter in Toronto, where the virus spread is starting to pick up pace.  

Lets hear how you are doing and your shopping supplies availability.

So largely everything here is fine.  We are missing toilet paper as well, simply because people are hording them.   Why, I have no idea.   Out of everything I'd worry about during a pandemic, toilet paper isn't my biggest concern.

Nevertheless... the first day of the announcement, the bread isle was empty.  Today it's filled.   The meat freeze was empty.  Now it's largely filled.

Hand sanitizer is gone, but... I can't imagine any reason I'd want it.  If you think Hand sanitizer does anything at all, five minutes after you use it, and pick something up... then you don't know how germs work.

Besides, simply washing your hands is better than using alcohol on your hands.

Honestly, other than that, everything is fine.   There are fruits and vegies all over the place.   Rice and chicken, as much as you can buy.   I see no reason for any concern at all.

[Jostler]

One of the uncertainties we're facing is disrupted supply chains.  I did read a specific report of Gulf Coast growers dumping tons of fresh produce for lack of buyers.  Long term contracts with specific buyers characterize much of the fresh produce market.  These Gulf Coast growers were primarily contracted with restaurants and entertainment centers like Disney World, so their customer base evaporated.  Supply lines were unable to shift quickly enough to get the produce to more distant areas where vegetables are in shorter supply.  So that production is lost.

Food banks are currently able to handle 800% increases in demand due to restaurant donations....that's a one time influx of massive amounts of food that food banks have access to, so when that unusually high influx is worked through, food banks may struggle to find stock to maintain service to the higher demand. 

California is taking over the Gulf region's production now (normal seasonal shift) but there may be issues developing with both labor to harvest and normal distribution channels....something to watch.  IMO many are still not really paying enough attention to the future uncertainties, which the NE states are particularly vulnerable to.

It's a good idea to make this a matter of individual prayer and ask the Lord if there is anything specific you should be doing to handle whatever disruptions might affect your locale the most.  It will not affect every region equally.  Prudence still suggests buying an extra of critical items each time you shop to deepen personal reserves and give yourself some choices as things unfold.