China: Snow and rain barely had an impact on vegetable prices

This week, snow and rain fell all over the country. However, even after having fallen for 5 days, the snow and rain does seem to have had an impact on the price of vegetables. The main reason is this: regions in the northern Inner-Mongolian province mainly supply from their winter storehouses and are in their final period. Moreover, in other eastern regions the temperature has not dropped to the extent that it limited the growth of vegetables. The impact of the bad weather conditions is also rather small in the southern regions. The supply of vegetables all over the country is thus not obstructed.

But the snow and rain did have a negative influence on the distribution and consumption of vegetables. Logistic operations were slowed down due to the weather, but there was still an abundant supply and the cold weather affected sales. In the end producers sold less and also ended up with a lower vegetable price. After the cold snap, temperatures gradually increased.

Southern vegetables, especially those from Hainan province, are slowly leaving the market at the same time that vegetables from the northern greenhouses have become available. So there has been a smooth transition of supply. There are now plenty of vegetables available on the market, while costs for distribution and production have decreased. However, forecasts show that vegetables will remain vulnerable.