118 People Tested Positive at TAPMC 1st and 2nd Markets 北農118人確診 拍賣.理貨員染疫影響供應

The pandemic has wreaked havoc on the supply chain of perishable foods as at least over 100 employees working at the Taipei First Wholesale Fruit and Vegetable Market were diagnosed with COVID. The marketplace said it would recruit retired workers for assistance after its daily supply has dropped from 5,360 tons to just over 1,000 tons.

Fruits and vegetables are packed and ready to go from the Taipei First Wholesale Fruit and Vegetable Market. With domestic COVID-19 cases increasing again, anyone who needs to enter the marketplace needs to show the yellow vaccination cards with all three shots administered. 

Fruits and vegetable seller: “Everyone carries the yellow vaccination card with them in the vehicle. People check upon entrance. ”

The First Wholesale Fruit and Vegetable Market is operated by the Taipei Agricultural Products Marketing Corporation (TAPMC). TAPMC says that only 27 out of 80 sellers are left working at the marketplace, the rest have been tested positive. One-third of the tally clerks are also down. The shortage in staff greatly affects the fruits and vegetable supply. A total of 112 employees recently tested positive at the First Wholesale Market, while six have tested positive at the Second Wholesale Market, TAPMC reported.

Lu Chuan-li, TAPMC Spokesperson: “Twenty-one sellers showed up today, but there were 34 sellers before April 17. They are vegetable sellers. As for fruit sellers, ten showed up today, but there were 13 before April 17. ”

TAPMC notified central and southern Taiwan that Taipei would be supplying fewer fruits and vegetables for a while. Lawmakers are displeased with TAPMC's decision of cutting the supply by more than half, from 5,360 tons to just over 1,000 tons. They demand a schedule from TAPMC for when vacated positions would be refilled and supply would come back to normal. TAPMC says they plan on combining auctions for different categories, lengthening auction time, accepting more online orders, recruiting retired sellers for assistance, and two other methods to resolve the staff shortage crisis.

Lu Chuan-li, TAPMC Spokesperson: “From April 1 to April 23, actually, to 24th which is this Sunday, the market received on average a total of 1,411 tons (of fruits and vegetables). Today we received 1,713 tons and that's above-average also.”

Chang Yu-wei, Vendor Section Chief, Taipei City Market Administration Office: “If workers tested positive from rapid tests, they are immediately asked to go do PCR and to stop coming to work. Vendors should be considered to do the same.”

TAPMC says the current fruits and vegetable supply is as stable as the situation allows, and they will enforce disinfection at the marketplace. Taipei Deputy Mayor Vivian Huang says the worst case is to suspend business. TAPMC declined to comment on whether they would need to suspend business. They say that employees are working very hard at the moment and that they are continuing to discuss with the government on whether employees can do rapid tests on their own in replacement of quarantine. 

業者將批來的蔬果裝運，準備從北農第一批發市場離開，對於疫情延燒到北農，確診人數越來越多，業者表示，進場必須出示打滿三劑疫苗的小黃卡。

蔬果批發業者說：「車上都有帶那個小黃卡，人員進來也都有查。」

北農疫情蔓延，原本有80位的蔬果拍賣員，因為染疫只剩27人，就連理貨員也有三分之一染疫，嚴重影響蔬果供應，北農表示，第一市場共有112人確診，包括78位員工、34位從業人員；第二市場也有6人染疫，北農總計有118人確診。

台北農產運銷公司發言人路全利指出：「今天出席的是21位，原先在4月17日前是拍賣員有34位，這是蔬菜組。水果組今天出席的是10位，在4月17日之前是13位。」

面對蔬果拍賣員嚴重短缺，北農通知中南部產地減量供貨，引起議員不滿，指出北農每天供應5360噸的蔬果，現在剩不到一半，一天只有1000多噸，要求北農回應何時回到正常供應以及補足拍賣員人力。對此，北農表示，採取併組拍賣、延長拍賣時間、線上預訂媒合，以及找回退休拍賣員協助等6項人力備援措施。

路全利表示：「4月1日到4月23日，到4月這個禮拜天（即4月24日），蔬菜平均到貨量是1411公噸，所以今天來講（蔬菜）1713公噸也相較於平均水準，是較高的。」

台北市市場處批發市場科科長張育瑋指出：「做快篩如果是陽性的話，就趕快過濾掉去做PCR，如果是攤商，這個部分也可以去做這樣子的考量。」

北農表示，蔬果供應持續回穩，也加強清消，但副市長黃珊珊指出，北農最壞情況就是休市，北農不願回應，強調工作人員在非常時期很辛苦，按照現行的防疫措施跟營運指引，而是否採取以篩代隔，仍持續跟市府溝通。