China Coronavirus

[five points]

Photo doing the rounds (I know...) suggesting they went shopping en route from the airport. Probably in a Lidl.

Apologies folks that photo I saw is fake, an old photo harvested off facebook.

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10157091606934061&id=743494060

[bennydorano]

Noticed BBCNI news referring to a second wave happening pretty much as fact, it would fit with the parochial, gloomy shite that they revel in, but it's not fact, a strong possibility surely but bullshit too.

Surely as long as the virus is out there without a vaccine, a second wave is likely, especially if things open up again after so many stay home to avoid infection?

Yes, likely as I've said and I agree, but reporting it as fact on the News  as when (not if) is not right. No big deal, I just thought it was shoddy reporting more than anything.

[Rudi]

Keelings chartering a flight from Bulgaria for fruit pickers. . . is there any truth to that??

That looks true, shocking stuff. No more Keelings for me.

Whys it shocking?

The locals have neither the appetite or attitude for it.

What the fuckedy moment, do I really have to explain this to our self appointed Covid expert.

[trailer]

Keelings chartering a flight from Bulgaria for fruit pickers. . . is there any truth to that??

That looks true, shocking stuff. No more Keelings for me.

Whys it shocking?

The locals have neither the appetite or attitude for it.

What the fuckedy moment, do I really have to explain this to our self appointed Covid expert.

Explain it to me then.

[Taylor]

Mental stuff
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-52316150

I met a Bolsonaro supporter at a party a few years back. She was as mad as a box of frogs. You thought Trump supporters were as thick as champ? I asked her what good she thought Bolsonaro was going to do.

Her: You don't know what it's like in the favelas! People are getting shot! People are getting murdered!
Me: Okay, but what's Bolsonaro going to go about it?
Her: He's going to fix it!
Me: How's he going to do that? By shooting more people?
Her: You don't know what it's like!
Me: How's he going to fix it?
Her: Brazil needs a strong leader like Bolsonaro! He's going to fix things! You don't know what it's like! You have no idea!
Me: So was Pinochet good for Chile?
Her: Huh?
Me: Was Pinochet good for Chile?
Her: No
Me: Was Galtieri good for Argentina?
Her: No
Me: When has a dictator ever been good for South America?
Her: This is different!
Me: How?
Her: This time it's going to be different! Bolsonaro is going to fix everything! We need a strong leader! You don't know what it's like in the favelas! People are getting shot every day! Children getting shot! You have no idea what it's like! Bolsonaro is going to deal with it! We need him!
Me: Yes, quite. I need to go for another drink...

You made that up Eamonn didnt you?

What? Why do people in here keep asking if I made stuff up? Why would I do that? I would really like to know.

Did you take a dictaphone with you to the party?

[gallsman]

"Pay a decent wage and Irish workers will be only too happy to pick fruit and veg for Irish companies!"

Still want your punnet of strawberries for 50c though, don't you?

[armaghniac]

"Pay a decent wage and Irish workers will be only too happy to pick fruit and veg for Irish companies!"

Still want your punnet of strawberries for 50c though, don't you?

Strawberries are not generally 50c though, the cost of picking would impact more on cheaper items.

[ardtole]

For a small punnet of strawberries, they are generally €3, or 2 for €5, in most supermarkets in the south. I'd guess there are 7 or 8 per punnet.

[gallsman]

50c, 2 euro, 5 euro, whatever. The actual price is irrelevant, as you well know.

The point is that people in the West, for all they demand better wages and conditions, still want to be able to buy everything as cheap as possible. Pay a farm labourer what you pay a banker and see how many people are willing to pay for local fresh produce over imports in a supermarket.

[trailer]

If they paid ppl €20 an hour the Irish man still wouldn't pick them. More work in a day off than there is in the Irishman nowadays.

[RadioGAAGAA]

Keelings chartering a flight from Bulgaria for fruit pickers. . . is there any truth to that??

That looks true, shocking stuff. No more Keelings for me.

Whys it shocking?

The locals have neither the appetite or attitude for it.

What the fuckedy moment, do I really have to explain this to our self appointed Covid expert.

Yes, please do explain it to me.

As part of your explanation, please include an expected impact on the price of their produce from anything you propose and a comparison of that to the cost of imported fruit/veg and with rationale for how they will continue to sell into markets.

Thanks.

---------------
I did say in another post:

The bigger problem is - there is no viable alternative. They either let the crop rot and with a lack of food on the shelves people get very antsy very quickly or they bring in labour.

Now I agree that there would need to be a strict 14day isolation for each and every one of them after arriving here - especially before being allowed to work in the food chain - and I'll bet that is not happening - due to greed.

To be clear - I'm not a big fan of this happening - it is an obvious risk as a source of further virus carriers. But there is no viable alternative if the locals don't want to do the work for a wage the company can afford price the shopper is willing to pay.

Keelings won't be the only bunch at risk here, what proportion of the Irish food store would be at risk of rotting on the vine if they didn't get it picked? Would it mean bare shelves? Or would it have minor impact?

[RedHand88]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-52338304

The humanity.

[Jeepers Creepers]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-52338304

The humanity.

So she can hear Ben Fogle clapping.

[Rudi]

Keelings chartering a flight from Bulgaria for fruit pickers. . . is there any truth to that??

That looks true, shocking stuff. No more Keelings for me.

Whys it shocking?

The locals have neither the appetite or attitude for it.

What the fuckedy moment, do I really have to explain this to our self appointed Covid expert.

Yes, please do explain it to me.

As part of your explanation, please include an expected impact on the price of their produce from anything you propose and a comparison of that to the cost of imported fruit/veg and with rationale for how they will continue to sell into markets.

Thanks.

---------------
I did say in another post:

The bigger problem is - there is no viable alternative. They either let the crop rot and with a lack of food on the shelves people get very antsy very quickly or they bring in labour.

Now I agree that there would need to be a strict 14day isolation for each and every one of them after arriving here - especially before being allowed to work in the food chain - and I'll bet that is not happening - due to greed.

To be clear - I'm not a big fan of this happening - it is an obvious risk as a source of further virus carriers. But there is no viable alternative if the locals don't want to do the work for a wage the company can afford price the shopper is willing to pay.

Keelings won't be the only bunch at risk here, what proportion of the Irish food store would be at risk of rotting on the vine if they didn't get it picked? Would it mean bare shelves? Or would it have minor impact?

Why would I explain it from a financial point of view. The country is either under lockdown or it's not. Flying people into the country with no evidence of strict pandemic protocols being adhered too is ill advised. The head of the HSE & our Taoiseach even agree

[RadioGAAGAA]

Why would I explain it from a financial point of view. The country is either under lockdown or it's not. Flying people into the country with no evidence of strict pandemic protocols being adhered too is ill advised. The head of the HSE & our Taoiseach even agree

Then explain it from food on the table point of view.

Is it a critical loss of foodstuffs on shop shelves? If its (and I don't mean just Keelings, I mean all fruit/veg that might need to bring in labour) not a critical proportion of overall food then the govt would be better off telling them to let it rot and they'll cover expenses and the companies go without profit for the year.


[BTW - l do agree it is a risk bringing people in from outside the country - but if they cannot get anyone in country to do it at a cost they (and end customer) can afford then needs must]