Feeling the pinch at the veggie market lately? 🥕🥦 You're not alone! This summer, China's vegetable prices have seen a juicy surge, and it's all thanks to the sizzling temperatures and splashy rainfall! 🌡️🌧️
From June 17 to August 15, the average wholesale price for 28 veggies tracked by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs jumped from 4.29 yuan (about $0.60) to 6 yuan per kilogram. That's a whopping 39.9% increase in just two months! 😱
So, what's cooking? Experts say it's the classic summer weather shuffle. High temps make veggies wilt faster than ice cream in the sun, while too much rain turns fields into muddy messes, making it tricky for farmers to harvest and deliver those fresh greens. 🌽🚜
\"Vegetable prices usually start rising from mid-June and peak in early September before cooling off,\" said Kong Fantao, deputy head of the Institute of Agricultural Economics and Development at the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS). 📈
This year, the weather dialed it up a notch. Many regions like Hunan, Shandong, Sichuan, and Anhui were hit with heavy downpours, thunderstorms, and some wild weather swings. This not only shrunk veggie production but also made roads to fields muddy or even damaged. Talk about a slippery situation! 🌧️🌪️
The result? Fewer veggies making it to the market shelves, and those that do are sporting higher price tags. But don't worry! As the weather stabilizes, experts expect the prices to come back down. So hang tight, and maybe try that new recipe you've been eyeing! 🍲😉
Reference(s):
High temperatures, frequent rainfall fuel vegetable price surge
cgtn.com
