Effects of last year’s typhoon and bad weather becoming apparent:
Vegetable prices surging in Japan
Figures from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries show how in the last week of December, retail prices for lettuce, cabbage, Chinese cabbage and radish doubled compared with average prices for the same period over the past five years.
The upswing in winter vegetables' prices was attributed to typhoon Lan, that struck in October, bringing torrential rain that triggered landslides and other disasters. This was followed by chilly temperatures in November that, coupled with long periods of precipitation, also hurt crop yields.
The Japan Times reported how Ministry officials are expecting prices to remain high throughout January. “Prices, however, will probably come back down in February and March when new shipments of produce unaffected by the weather begin to arrive.”