Veggie prices soar after early snow

Due to the early and heavy snow, prices of winter vegetables are soaring, especially napa cabbage and radish, which is bad news for households who postponed their kimchi making for the winter.

According to Seoul Agro-fisheries and Food Corporation yesterday, the wholesale price of fresh vegetables traded at Garak Market, a large wholesale food market in Songpa District, southern Seoul, jumped for two consecutive days.

The wholesale price of 10 kilograms of low grade napa cabbage rose 25.2 percent from the previous day to 4,092 won ($3.78).

The price of 10 kilos of medium grade cabbage rose 11.7 percent to 6,629 won, and high grade rose 8.9 percent to 10,290 won.

The price of cabbage jumped even more the day before: 24.7 percent for low grade, 33.8 percent for medium and 28.5 percent for high.

The wholesale price of an 8-kilogram box of albaegi cabbage, the heart of a nappa cabbage, was 10,247 won, 11.6 percent higher than the previous day.

The price of 20 kilograms of minari, or water parsley, was 20.3 percent higher in one day.

Some households wait until the very end of the kimchi-making season when vegetable prices usually fall. The snow has foiled them.

“As the heavy snow fell for three days, vegetable prices are expected to rise again,” said an industry official. “When the snow falls farmers not only have to stop farm work but there’s also cold-weather damage.”

Even with the surprising snow, transportation and distribution haven’t been affected badly, people in the industry said.

However, industry sources said they couldn’t rule out disruptions over the weekends with more snow expected.

By Kim Jung-yoon [kjy@joongang.co.kr]