Mixed picture for Vion exports in Italy
Despite the lockdown on Italy, Vion Foods is still exporting products to this market but the unrest and uncertainties regarding preventive measures to curb the coronavirus outbreak are having an impact on the sales, according to Dutch magazine FoodAgribusiness.
"The meat products just go there and are distributed further, but we notice a lot of uncertainty among our customers because they do not know how sales will continue," commented a spokesman from the Dutch meat producer. In the last couple of days, the Italian government has recommended small restaurants and bars to keep their doors closed as a preventive measure over the epidemic situation in the country. At this time, only hotel restaurants and supermarkets are open to cover the domestic consumption for the population sent in isolation at home.
At the same time, the company re-started the shipments to China thanks to a relief felt by port operators in the Asian country in handling the reefer containers in some of the major ports of China such as Tianjin and Shanghai.
By now, the number of reefer containers in Tianjin port and Shanghai port has been reduced to 2/3 of the highest-ever record and imports are expected to regain speed. The worst situation was that the total reefer container number in cold store at Tianjin port and Shanghai port and surrounding districts reached as high as 27,000 TEU during the lockdown of 11 Chinese cities and the transport restrictions imposed by the authorities. "A few weeks ago, logistics in China were completely stuck. Now the distribution in the interior is once again picked up in size,", declared Vion Foods' spokesman. He also mentioned that the company's personnel was advised to work from home, if possible, and no sick worker is allowed to enter the Group's production facilities.
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