Heavy Rain and Heatwave Drive Vegetable Prices Soaring... Spinach Up 146% and Lettuce Up 102% in One Month

Following heavy rains, a heatwave has continued, causing vegetable prices to surge. Spinach prices jumped 146% and lettuce prices rose 102% within a month.

According to the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation (aT) on the 6th, the average retail price of 100g of spinach was 2,286 won as of the 4th, an increase of 1,356 won (145.8%) compared to one month ago (930 won).

Red leaf lettuce (100g) also rose from 1,143 won to 2,310 won during the same period, up 1,167 won (102.1%). The price of one watermelon increased by 38.8%, from 21,069 won to 29,254 won, and 100g of young radish leaves (yeolmu) rose 50%, from 3,057 won to 4,589 won.

Lettuce shipments were severely affected due to flooding damage in major production areas such as Nonsan and Iksan, resulting in many areas being unable to ship. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, as of the 2nd, lettuce cultivation facilities covering 4,762,000㎡ were damaged. The ministry expects lettuce supply to stabilize only after September, as it takes 30 days after transplanting seedlings grown in greenhouses into fields before they can be harvested. Even if affected farmers plant immediately, the produce will only be supplied to the market around September.

The heatwave following the monsoon season is a critical factor for the production of greenhouse vegetables. During high temperatures, crop respiration intensifies while photosynthesis decreases, leading to poor growth. Prolonged exposure to high temperatures can cause irreversible damage to crops. In such cases, price stabilization may be further delayed.

Kim Jong-gu, Director of Distribution and Consumption Policy at the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, said, "Due to heavy rains, prices of some greenhouse vegetables like lettuce are strong, but as supply conditions improve and prices gradually stabilize, we hope large retailers will refrain from excessive price hikes and make efforts to stabilize prices through their own discount events." He added, "The ministry will closely monitor supply and demand trends daily in response to adverse weather such as heatwaves, expand supply through stockpiling, contract farming, and import measures, and continue to support discounts to ease consumer burdens, making every effort to stabilize summer grocery prices."

Due to production disruptions of agricultural products caused by heavy rain, the prices of vegetables such as spinach, lettuce, and cucumbers have risen sharply. On the 20th, merchants were organizing vegetables at the Garak-dong Agricultural and Marine Products Market in Songpa-gu, Seoul. The merchants said, "The vegetable prices have risen so much that we are afraid to even display the prices." Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.