BERLIN, March 26 (Xinhua) -- The food industry in Germany is struggling with labor shortage as a result of the restrictions caused by the coronavirus epidemic, the country's Minister of Food and Agriculture Julia Kloeckner said on Thursday.
For some companies, the situation is already "very tense." Slaughterhouses and dairies in Germany are especially affected by staff shortages because commuters from the Czech Republic and Poland are currently unavailable, explained Kloeckner.
The entry ban for seasonal workers has also hit agricultural businesses in Germany, according to Kloeckner. In March alone, 30,000 seasonal workers are required for the asparagus harvest and for sowing. In May, the number of seasonal workers needed in Germany would rise to 80,000.
A new platform, which was set up to connect job seekers and German farmers, is already listing 20,000 vacancies, according to Kloeckner.
"The whole chain," from production to trade, would need to be kept in view, the minister stressed. If there is a problem at any stage, this would impact the entire value chain right up to the end consumers in Germany.
On Wednesday, the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) noted that the German retail sector is facing "an unchecked demand for specific convenience goods."
Last week, demand for toilet paper in Germany was more than three times higher than in the previous six months, while demand for soap increased by a factor of four.
Already in the last week of February, sales figures for flour, soap or pasta were more than double the previous six months' average. However, sales of pasta have slowly declined since then. According to Destatis, this is probably also due to a short-term lack of supply.
Kloeckner stressed that there is "no reason to stockpile food" and that Germany is "well supplied with local staple foods."
In order to ensure an uninterrupted supply of food, Germany's Minister of Transport Andreas Scheuer stressed the importance of more flexible regulations. To this end, the driving ban for trucks in Germany was already lifted last Sunday.
The cross-border movement of goods must be guaranteed, Scheuer stressed. In the past few days, particularly long traffic jams have formed at the German-Polish border.
