The city of Shouguang in East China's Shandong Province has been left in ruins by torrential rain bought by Typhoon Lekima. Since it is an important vegetable producing and exporting hub in China, experts warned that the disaster may push up vegetable prices in the global market.
A local resident sent the Global Times a video on Sunday showing that some of the vegetable greenhouses of her family had been submerged in water. They have abandoned the greenhouses and evacuated to a safe area.
One vegetable greenhouse costs 300,000 ($42,500) to 400,000 yuan, and many of them were financed with loans, according to the resident.
Hong Tao, an expert on market regulation of the Ministry of Commerce, told the Global Times that the disaster in Shouguang may drive up world vegetable prices.
"Countries including Russia, Japan and South Korea are major importers of vegetables from Shouguang," Hong said, adding that China has long been a key vegetable exporter in the world with more than $7 billion in exports in 2018.
Cuiling West county in Shouguang has 1,105 mu (74 hectares) of vegetable greenhouses and exports more than 15,000 tons of vegetables to Russia valued at 100 million yuan every year, jiemian.com reported.
Wang Pan, a merchandising manager of a Qingdao-based foreign trade corporation called Lianqiao Group, told the Global Times on Sunday that showed some of their suppliers' plants in the province have been submerged and production has been suspended.
Source: Global Times