Catalan butchers are moving on mobile devices to stop shopping spree
With selves left empty in just a few hours by panic buyers, Catalan butchers have decided to go mobile and help their clients by taking their orders through phone or WhatsApp to prevent another shopping spree among consumers in Barcelona. Xavier Gallifa, president of the butchers and charcutiers in the province confirmed that the decision is to be taken this week in order to prevent another meat shortage in the small shops. "Many of our members are prepared to attend to customer orders by phone or WhatsApp, which can facilitate the way we buy. We also expect consumers to have a responsible attitude that will help guarantee the high quality of service offered by our establishments", he declared.
To respond to their clients and also to apply the security measures recommended by the authorities, many of the butcher shops in Spain have expanded their program and imposed self-regulation systems to ensure the safety of the consumer. However, with more than 13,000 cases of coronavirus, 616 deaths and a lockdown measure that threatens to last more than 15 days, panic has spread through the population and some of the food stores have been confronted with disruptions in the supply chain.
For that reason, INTERPORC Spain has given guarantees that the supply of pork products to the population will be maintained in the following weeks. "The pig sector will maintain its activity in the state of alarm to ensure supply to consumers. We are facing exceptional circumstances in which the men and women who work in the pig sector are aware that their role is of high importance in bringing meat and processed products to consumers that allow Spanish families to maintain their eating routines," said Manuel García, president of INTERPORC.
The pig industry in Spain accounts for 39% of the livestock production and delivers in the domestic market and abroad more than 4.6 million tonnes of meat and processed products per year. However, in case of extreme emergency, some of the pork products sent to export cand be put in the domestic market, considering the fact that shipments to Asia are advancing slowly at this point due to port congestion in the region and restrictive measures applied by several Asian countries.
Spain is also the largest meat-consumer in the EU, with a per capita consumption of 100 kilos of animal protein, according to the latest FAO statistics. Pork accounts for almost 50% of that figure.
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