Time to raise the prices of Chinese cabbage?

The end of last year will not be remembered by Chinese cabbage producers in Poland with delight. As well as the first half of the season in general, which was burdened with production difficulties. But almost until the end of September, the wholesale prices of this vegetable were very good and then only good. Autumn, on the other hand, brought an increase in the supply of late varieties, a drop in demand and price degradation to below last year's level.

But, as was already mentioned in the introduction, 2018 is already history. We need to look to the future.    And here, as far as Chinese cabbage is concerned, it is a little bit optimistic. Already at the end of last year, the Polish market reported an increase in demand for good quality 'chinese'. This increase was so significant that some producers were tempted to increase prices slightly. As a result, we now have sales prices in a large wholesale in the range of 0,26 - 0,33 EUR/kg, which is an increase of 4.2 per cent compared to the state before the New Year.

This is not much, but we should remember that we can expect a more pronounced recovery on the market only in the second decade of January, so the price movement at the beginning of the month is a good omen.

It is also worth looking back  at the previous seasons. In recent years the prices of Chinese cabbage in Poland have always increased in January. Even in these weaker seasons. But let's also remember,  that in February in principle every year comes a demand hole, which suffocates prices for several days. Only then does a more sustained upward trend start, fuelled by a decrease in the supply of nice Chinese cabbage.