Due to the recent severe cold weather, the prices of vegetables such as cucumbers shipped to Tokyo from various places have risen sharply.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, the wholesale price per kilogram of cucumbers at the Tokyo Central Wholesale Market is 661 yen as of January 27, compared to 476 yen in normal years, a nearly 40% increase.
In addition, the eggplant is 618 yen compared to 503 yen in the average year, a price increase of more than 20%.
Eggplants and cucumbers, which are summer vegetables, are shipped from greenhouses at this time of year, but it is said that the severe cold and snowfall have lowered the indoor temperature and affected their growth.
In particular, cucumbers are believed to be in short supply due to increased demand for ehomaki before Setsubun on the 3rd of next month.
At a supermarket in Adachi-ku, Tokyo, cucumbers, which were sold for about 50 yen each at this time last year, were sold for about 80 to 90 yen on the 30th.
A woman who visited the shop said, "I feel it's expensive, but I can't help it because I need it for my daily meals."
Yozo Niitsuma, president of Sanyo, said, "I'm hoping that spring will come soon. Right now, there's a shortage of summer vegetables due to the snow and cold weather, but I think there will be a lot more in March." I was talking to
Regarding the outlook for the future, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries says that if the temperature returns to normal, the growth situation will recover and prices will fall.