05/05/2024 – 21:29
The rains in Rio Grande do Sul led to a rush to buy essential items such as toilet paper and water, as well as the search for fuel to refuel vehicles. Although they admit a certain difficulty in replacing products in all regions, entities representing companies assess that there is no shortage.
Office assistant Gabriel Maia, 20 years old, reported being surprised by the size of the queues and the absence of some products when he went to the supermarket last Friday, the 3rd, at night. “The lines reached halfway down the corridor, which is quite large and ‘deep’. What I saw most of them stocking up on was water, but I was impressed by how much they cleaned bread, there was no longer any sliced bread on the market shelves, and some non-perishable foods. There were very few noodles too, as well as rice and other items like that”, says Maia, a resident of Porto Alegre.
“I understand that many people are scared by a calamity of this level, but it is clear that many people who carry out this unrestrained stockpiling have no need to reach this point”, reflects the young man. He reports that he has heard friends say they are also stocking up on items such as toilet paper, and says he does not fear a complete shortage.
To the Estadão, the Gaúcha Supermarkets Association (Agas) stated that there is no shortage of food. The entity reports that replenishment is not completely normal due to transport problems and some locations being isolated or stores being flooded, but that it occurs “satisfactorily”, at adequate levels and capable of guaranteeing the presence of products.
The Zaffari supermarket chain, one of the main ones in the State, also denied a lack of supply, although “occasional disruptions” can happen and be quickly resolved, and that the vast majority of missing products have similar substitute items within the stores themselves.
In a similar way, the president of the State Intermunicipal Union of Retail Fuel and Lubricants (Sulpetro), João Carlos Dal’Acqua, reports “imbalances”, but denies shortages. “In some places, there is more excessive consumption, with queues at gas stations that attract more people, but the distributors are doing their part, there is no shortage of product at the bases”, he informs.
According to Dal’Acqua, there are difficulties, and sometimes the population’s anxiety can cause a station to “dry up”, but another nearby one must continue serving consumers. The president of Sulpetro reports that measures such as temporarily reducing the amount of biofuel added to gasoline help, as does the effort to seek safe routes to meet the sector’s capillarity.
The Rio Grande do Sul government launched a campaign in partnership with Sulpetro to ensure that official vehicles have priority when refueling. Estadão contacted the state government and the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply to inquire about the situation, but did not receive a response until the publication of this report.
The situation is more serious in the supply of water and electricity. In the latest bulletin, the Rio Grande do Sul government reported that there are 418.2 thousand points without power and 1.06 million properties without water. The mayor of Porto Alegre, Sebastião Melo, asked on Saturday, the 4th, that people save water because of the city’s six water treatment plants, four have their operations suspended.
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