Wang Yuanyuan

RETAILERS fear business will shrink after an announcement by wholesalers to increase the prices of vegetables.

According to a report by the Buji Farm Produce Wholesale Market on Tuesday, the average prices for a total of 43 kinds of vegetables had risen 6.7 percent compared with last week. Leafy vegetables increased around 24.6 percent. The price of crowndaisy chrysanthemum has increased the most, from 1.6 yuan (US$0.23) to 2.45 yuan per 500 grams.

Retailers and small fast-food restaurant owners said wholesale prices of vegetables had been increasing over the past two weeks. Some had even increased by more than 50 percent.

Retailers believe it is impossible to sell vegetables at such high prices and don’t want to raise prices for fear of losing customers.

Staff at the Buji wholesale market said the price hikes were caused by high temperatures in Yunnan and Hainan provinces that extended growing cycles and reduced harvests in these areas.

Apart from leafy vegetables, the price of fruit such as loquats had also risen more than 3 percent because of the cold weather in January and February. In a fruit store in Xiangxi Village, the price of loquats was 11.8 yuan per 500g yesterday. “This price is ridiculous,” said a customer surnamed Wang.