Air drops, restored rail link eyed in attempt to solve food supply crisis

A lawmaker has suggested the government recommission the rail line next to Sheung Shui Slaughterhouse, or use drones, to transport livestock and other fresh goods from the mainland to Hong Kong to solve the shortage of supplies.

That comes as dozens of cross-border truck drivers have been infected with Covid-19 and hundreds more placed in quarantine.

In the Legislative Council meeting yesterday, agriculture and fisheries lawmaker Steven Ho Chun-yin said the government should think about how to transport goods to Hong Kong without drivers, proposing recommissioning a purpose-built rail line from Lo Wu to deliver livestock and vegetables from the mainland to Sheung Shui Slaughterhouse, even though the rail line has not been used for a decade.

Ho also suggested that authorities could use airdrop methods to deal with the city's food supply crisis, using drones to avoid injuries or deaths of pilots.

"There were reports in newspapers, as well as my friends were saying, if we can deliver the supplies using drones," Ho said.

He cited as an example the United States air dropping supplies to West Berlin during World War II. "They sent 3,000 planes every day to airdrop the necessities," he said.

Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor on Tuesday said the government is considering importing supplies from the mainland to Hong Kong by sea, as the city's supply of vegetables and other fresh goods has been affected by infections and the quarantining of cross-border truck drivers.

The supply shortages caused a fluctuation in prices, with some vegetables priced two to three times higher than usual.

A government spokesman yesterday said that the fresh food supply from the mainland remained steady on Tuesday.

Compared to Monday, about 675,000 kilograms of vegetables have been supplied to local markets from the mainland, comprising 70 percent of the normal volume. The overall wholesale price continued to drop.

The spokesman also said the supply of chilled poultry and meat imported on Tuesday was around 60 percent of the normal. It is believed fresh food supply will gradually increase when the operation of the control point returns to normal. The supply of live pigs is operating as usual.

Meanwhile, Shenzhen authorities announced eight more cross-border truck drivers tested positive on Monday and Tuesday, taking the tally of infected drivers since February 4 to 55 people.

Separately, China Resources Holdings, which has supermarkets in Hong Kong, said it will do its best to safeguard supply of fresh food and essentials in the city.