Recent persistent rainfall and the unpredictable weather posed many problems for vegetable growth, and many vegetables are in a transition period. As a result, the prices of various vegetables in Yinan County, Shandong Province shot up.
A survey shows that the recent surge in vegetable prices is mainly caused by three reasons. First, due to continuous rainfall and insufficient sunlight in recent days, vegetables have experienced slow growth and reduced production. Leafy vegetables such as bok choy and Chinese leek are prone to insects and decay in hot and humid weather. This has led to a reduced volume of available products and a surge in prices. Moreover, vegetables are currently in a transition period that results in short supply. Thirdly, the demand is strong. As markets in the south have been experiencing a short supply due to abundant rainfall, operators in Guangzhou and Changzhou have purchased large volumes of cucumbers. Currently, only summer cucumbers planted in June are available. Greenhouse cucumbers were available in the early season, and open field products have entered the late season. As s result, quality is questionable and volume available is small, leading to an imbalance between supply and demand, driving prices up.
It is expected that as rainfall continues, prices of some vegetables will remain at a high level in the near future.
Source: Development and Reform Bureau of Yinan County, Shandong Province