Earthquake-hit cities desperate to receive extra food supplies

SHANGHAI - Food companies in East China's Zhejiang province have been gearing up to provide products to earthquake-hit Japan.

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Since the massive earthquake and ensuing tsunami hit Japan on March 11, the Jiaxing Niandai Instant Frozen Food Company, which specializes in processing agricultural products and frozen food and exports 95 percent of its products to Japan every year, has been working almost around the clock to meet the orders from Japan.

"We have been extremely busy recently," said Mao Chuanfeng, deputy general manager of the company.

"Apart from extending working hours to 10 pm, we have also hired 20 new employees to meet the delivery date, as Japan urgently needs fresh vegetables."

The company provides mainly six kinds of vegetables, including field mustard and komatsuna, a food widely found on Japanese dining tables. Its customers are mostly supermarkets from Kobe, Tokyo and Osaka in Japan.

"We have seen the orders from Japan grow significantly this March, up about 50 percent compared to those in February. But we have not raised prices at all," said Mao.

"Japan has long been dependant on imports from other countries. As the tsunami has swamped much of the farm land in northeast Japan, the need for imports of agricultural products will be even stronger this year," he added.

"As snow has hit Japan in the past few days, the country will be in a more desperate need for these imports."

Workers of the Zhejiang Fomdas Food Company in Zhejiang's Shaoxing city have also been working overtime recently to meet orders made by their Japanese clients, most of which are large supermarkets such as Jusco in Tokyo and Osaka.

"The orders, which are supposed to be delivered in April, now have to be delivered by the end of March. Therefore, our workers have extended their working hours to 10 pm or even 12 pm," said Chen Miaojuan, manager of the foreign trade department of the company.

Customs officials in Zhejiang province have also helped by accelerating clearances. Shaoxing Customs has set up a special passage for the food exported to Japan, local media reported.