The supply of southern vegetables to northern markets was affected by unfavorable weather conditions. The supply volumes of cauliflower, baby Chinese cabbage, green cabbage, and black-eyed beans suffered the most. Vegetable prices in south Chinese markets increased to various degrees as a result of limited supply volumes.
Perhaps the most typical example is broccoli. The wholesale price of broccoli increased from 3.3-3.5 yuan [0.52-0.55 USD] per 0.5 kg to 4.8-5.0 yuan [0.75-0.78 USD] per 0.5 kg. The broccoli supply to Shanghai market was delayed because rainfall had been scarce and because temperatures suddenly dropped. However, even though the price suddenly soared, market demand remained average. The price is expected to drop later this month when the supply volume grows.
The price of tomatoes has been high since summer. In September, the weather conditions in north China were unfavorable for tomato growth, and so the tomato plants produced fewer tomatoes, which is why the wholesale price remained high and did not come down. The price exceeded 100 yuan [15.64 USD] per box. Now that the tomatoes from Yuanmou in Yunnan and Panzhihua in Sichuan begin to enter the market in larger volumes, the wholesale price is slowly coming down.
The vegetable prices are expected to continue fluctuating as the temperatures in south China will be unpredictable for the foreseeable future. However, as the supply volumes of some vegetables grow, the pressure on the vegetable market declines. Still, for some vegetables, the purchase price remains high, retail is slowed down, and distributors see their profit margin shrink. These developments have caused significant fluctuations in the trade volumes of some vegetables, but the overall supply volume has stabilized. As before, the overall vegetable supply volume is able to satisfy market demand.
Source: The East Online