By tf-lawyer.com On October 8th, a spokesperson from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs announced that the national vegetable basket index for September registered at 135.82, reflecting a month-on-month increase of 5.5 points and a year-on-year rise of 14.62 points. This upward trend in vegetable prices was evident both compared to the previous month and the same month last year.
In September, the average wholesale price for 28 key vegetables monitored by the Ministry was 6.23 yuan per kilogram. This marked a 6.9% increase from August, though it was 14.8 percentage points lower than earlier this year, and a significant 22.2% higher than last year. Delving deeper into specific vegetable categories, 22 items saw price increases, while six experienced declines. Notably, prices for green peppers, tomatoes, and winter melons surged by over 20%. In contrast, the price hikes for staple items such as napa cabbage, radishes, and cucumbers, which had seen significant increases in August, decelerated in September.
Zhang Jing, an associate researcher at the Agricultural Information Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, weighed in on these developments. “The rise in vegetable prices in September can primarily be attributed to adverse weather conditions. A strong cold front impacted regions like Northeast China, Inner Mongolia, and Northern China, resulting in substantial temperature drops that prompted early harvesting of certain cool-weather vegetables. This disruption particularly affected the supply of green peppers and tomatoes. Additionally, heavy rainfall from two typhoons in Jiangsu, Anhui, Henan, and Shandong hindered the harvesting and transport of vegetables.”
Looking ahead, experts foresee a gradual decline in vegetable prices as seasonal patterns emerge. Zhang elaborated, “In October, many areas are experiencing higher temperatures than usual for this time of year, leading to better production conditions. As the weather cools down, we anticipate a reduction in transportation and storage losses for vegetables, along with decreased transport costs. Unless there’s a significant weather event, vegetable prices are expected to enter a seasonal decline.”
To get a pulse on current vegetable prices, our reporters visited a wholesale market in Beijing. Liu Ping, a vendor at the Xinfadi Agricultural Products Wholesale Market, shared that tomato prices have remained elevated since September.
Other vegetables, including green beans, celery, and broccoli, have also seen price increases attributed to delays in planting and harvesting due to rain. For instance, celery is currently priced at 3 yuan per jin, representing a 2 yuan increase compared to last year. Throughout September, the weighted average price of vegetables at Beijing’s Xinfadi market reached 4 yuan per kilogram, which is a 4.17% increase from August and a dramatic 36.52% rise from the same period last year.
On a positive note, some rapidly growing vegetables like rapeseed and spinach are starting to see a recovery in supply, leading to a gradual decrease in prices. Analyst Liu Tong from Xinfadi Market predicts that by mid to late October, many delayed vegetables will begin to arrive in the market, forecasting a price drop for currently high-priced items like cauliflower, tomatoes, and green beans.
