Extreme Weather Sends Food Prices Soaring in China

Vegetable prices have soared to their highest level in nearly a decade in China, after a summer of extreme weather that has battered the country’s farming heartlands. According to China’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, the country’s average daily vegetable price rose over 40% between June 16 and Aug. 15, from 4.27 yuan ($0.60) per kilogram to 6.01 yuan ($0.84). In some areas, prices rose even more steeply, with buyers in the southwestern Sichuan province forced to pay more than 50% extra for mustard greens, cucumbers, eggplants, and several other types of vegetables, local media reported.

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