Tang Ke, the Bureau Chief of Market Intelligence in the Ministry of Agriculture, recently stated during a routine press conference that the violent fluctuation of vegetable prices last year is closely intertwined with the inefficient connection between production and markets. He also stated that the supply volume of some vegetables was limited during the Chinese Spring Festival [February 5th, 2019], which further increased prices.
The fluctuations in vegetable prices last year were relatively large compared to previous years, according to Tang Ke. One reason for this fluctuation was extreme weather. Production areas throughout the country experienced high temperatures and excessive rainfall last summer, which affected the development of vegetables, the harvest, and transport. Typhoons in August caused flooding in Weifang, Shandong. The price of vegetables was high in the third quarter, but then dropped again in autumn.
Tang Ke stated that the inefficient connection between production and market is an old problem.
