This month the price for Chinese leeks on the Wanbang International market in Henan stood on average at 2.62 RMB/kg, while last month this was only 1.73 RMB/kg; and last year 2.15 RMB/kg. Thus, the price has gone up by 51.19% within a single month, and 21.66% within a year.
Chinese leeks sold on Wanbang international market this month mainly come from Shangqiu city (Henan province) and the provinces Hebei and Guangdong. The price for Chinese leeks has gone up because of the transformation in the regions of production. The Chinese leeks sold within the market last month were mainly local products, because the local region had more favourable transport and manpower costs and has the advantage of its abundance in resources. Furthermore, the supply was larger and the price lower. Following the cold temperatures, the growing season of local leeks also gradually slowed down.
The local leeks have thus slowly left the market, while leeks from Hebei, Shangqiu and Guangdong increasingly took their place. Leeks from Guangdong, which is of better quality than that from Shangqiu or Hebei, has to be transported in foam boxes in freeze temperatures, so the price for a kilogram of leek in Guangdong is easily 0.6 or 0.8 RMB more expensive than in Hebei or Shangqiu, and its supply is more limited.