In the past week my girlfriend has repeatedly warned me that the local market she buys food at here in Battambang might be closing soon and maybe the large central market as well. She is encouraging me to stock up on food in preparation for this. So I asked her: "If all the markets close how will people get food to eat?" She replied: "I don't know." I know drastic preventative measures are in order to prevent viral spread but mass starvation seems a little extreme. Have any of your significant others or perhaps a Cambodian friend given any of you this same warning?

Even with countries that have enforced the most draconian lock-down policies, there have still been provisions put in place for people to go out and buy supplies. I believe that in China, where some of the hardest lock-down measures were put in place, many provinces had an online ordering service where your shopping was delivered to you (on the end of a stick in some cases).

I think it's looking unlikely that Cambodia will have a lock-down but even if they were, there would be provisions in place for people to continue to buy food.

The biggest worry now is the actual food supply itself.

https://edition.cnn.com/2020/04/10/asia ... index.html

funny

in general, it's wise to have 14 days worth of non-perishable food in your home at the best of times, now if a hard lockdown occurs you'll still be able to go to the store and buy food, but supply disruption might mean there won't be much food available, additionally, in hard times the outsiders come second... so it wouldn't hurt to stock up a little extra if you can.

The Mekong and Tonlie Sap are the biggest markets . Are they going to close them down .

Lol, it's Khmer New Year (whatever anyone says), so of course there are a lot of stalls closed at the markets.

You need to stock up a bit, but this happens every year around about now. Buy some beer and don't panic.

It's not the closure of the markets, but it's panic buying (when it happens) combined with not too reliable supply chains that will cause the problems.

I would listen to your girlfriend and stock up on some food. Actually we stocked up one some food, drinking water and gasoline about a month ago. You can use it anyway, so no money wasted.

xandreu wrote: ↑Sat Apr 11, 2020 1:09 pm Even with countries that have enforced the most draconian lock-down policies, there have still been provisions put in place for people to go out and buy supplies. I believe that in China, where some of the hardest lock-down measures were put in place, many provinces had an online ordering service where your shopping was delivered to you (on the end of a stick in some cases).

I think it's looking unlikely that Cambodia will have a lock-down but even if they were, there would be provisions in place for people to continue to buy food.

The biggest worry now is the actual food supply itself.

https://edition.cnn.com/2020/04/10/asia ... index.html

Really? I am in the UK. I can choose to queue for an hour to get into one of the big supermarkets, but i dont have any transport to get to them. I have a 7-11 style small shop from one of the major supermarkets and it has bugger all except bread, milk. havent seen tomato ketchup, cleaning fluid, tinned goods, soup or bacon fro a week. The same shops has a small supoermarket 10 minutes walk away. Same thisng. No squash, no bottled water, hardly any tinned goods,no ketchup, no biscuits, no chocolate, no toilet rolls, no tea. I havent listed all of them. There is no sign of panic buying at these shops. they have a strict maximum of 2 items policy. They are just not getting stock, because the manufaturers do nothave enough staff or imports are slowing down and I suspect a lot of stock is being diverted to the superstores which many of us cannot get to. I would strongly advise getting in supplies of any manufactured food while they are available. locally produced food will probably be available but going to a crowded market to get it would be dangerous, especially if you have health conditions. The situation is far worse in Europe than you may have been led to believe and there are already signs of civil unrest brewing. Once that hits, people will be robbed on the street for their groceries!

Kammekor wrote: ↑Sat Apr 11, 2020 3:45 pm It's not the closure of the markets, but it's panic buying (when it happens) combined with not too reliable supply chains that will cause the problems.

I would listen to your girlfriend and stock up on some food. Actually we stocked up one some food, drinking water and gasoline about a month ago. You can use it anyway, so no money wasted.

Basically this. If confirmed cases start spiking expect there to be panic buying again.

I've been stocking up on none-perishables a little bit extra at a time each time I have any reason to be at a market, and we bought a couple of 50kg sacks of rice too.

That said I think that it's unlikely a lockdown will come. There are too many people living day to day and after the recent years of drought, flooding, low rice demand last year, and probably general lack of funds in the emergency coffers [/diplomatic] the government can't afford to feed everyone - can't print money as several western governments are either. They would have to impose harsh military enforced lockdown to deal with the inevitable crime wave and panic, I don't think even this government wants to do that.

Maybe she heard about India's lockdown