Supermarkets remain 'well stocked' with fruits, vegetables despite Pasir Panjang Wholesale Centre's temporary closure

SINGAPORE: Supermarket operators assured customers that there are sufficient stocks of fruits and vegetables after it was announced on Sunday (Sep 26) that Pasir Panjang Wholesale Centre will close for three days from Monday afternoon.

A cluster of 64 COVID-19 cases at the wholesale centre was reported by the Ministry of Health (MOH) in its daily update on Sunday night.

The wholesale centre, which handles about 30 per cent and 50 per cent of Singapore’s fruit and vegetable imports respectively, will be closed from 3pm on Monday to 3pm on Thursday.

The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) said that the temporary closure is expected to cause “some disruption" to Singapore’s fruit and vegetable supply.

NTUC FairPrice said in a Facebook post on Sunday that it is “closely monitoring” the situation and added that it has “sufficient stock” available for the community.

“Our robust and diverse supply lines for fruits and vegetables remain intact. To cater to an anticipated increase in demand, we've also increased our supply of fruits and vegetables to our stores islandwide,” said NTUC FairPrice.

The supermarket chain also reminded customers to "only buy what they need".

Cold Storage Singapore and Giant Singapore, which are both run by the DFI Retail Group, assured customers that the closure of Pasir Panjang Wholesale Centre has a “minimal impact” on them.

“Our stores are well stocked as we work with a diversified supplier base, with all our team members working hard to ensure sufficient supply across our stores,” both supermarkets said, also reminding customers to only buy what they need.

Sheng Siong supermarket wrote in a Facebook post: "We wish to assure you that we are working hard to ensure that all our stores remain well stocked with timely deliveries of fresh vegetables and fruits."

Singapore has seen a spike in the number of COVID-19 cases in recent weeks, with a record 1,939 cases reported on Sunday.

In July, Jurong Fishery Port was closed for two weeks after it emerged as a COVID-19 cluster. While it caused short-term disruptions to the supply of chilled seafood, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu assured the public then that there was “ample supply and stock of frozen seafood” in Singapore.