Henan garlic prices rise, is "garlic you ruthless" back after five years?

After five years, "garlic you ruthless" has struck again, and anyone who can afford to eat garlic is now a wealthy tycoon.

Because the planting area in major garlic-producing regions has decreased and garlic inventories have dropped, garlic prices in the Zhengzhou market have now generally reached more than 10 yuan per jin, and before the Spring Festival, "garlic you ruthless" may continue.

[Prices] Garlic prices break the 10-yuan mark

If you go to a braised noodle shop in Zhengzhou now and order a bowl of braised noodles, you will find that the owner no longer provides the classic side dish - garlic. A reporter learned from supermarkets in Zhengzhou that a pack of five premium garlic heads can sell for 12 yuan. Garlic in vegetable markets is also all above 10 yuan per jin, and even garlic with poor appearance costs at least 8 yuan per jin.

Mr. Sun, a vendor at the Wanbang Vegetable Wholesale Market, said this year's garlic prices can be said to be the highest since 2011, and judging by the current trend, it will be hard for garlic prices to fall before the Spring Festival, when retail prices of more than ten yuan per jin will be very normal. Expensive garlic will also make the price of garlic sprouts and other produce very high in autumn and winter.

Fortunately, however, garlic is not a daily necessity for ordinary people. "Except for stir-frying river snails, river mussels and other river freshwater foods, where garlic must be used, try to use ginger and scallions instead when cooking other dishes." said citizen Mr. Zhu. Now the price of ginger and scallions is only one-third that of garlic, so garlic consumption can only be reduced as much as possible.

[Causes] Low output is the main reason for garlic price increases

"Farmers in major garlic-producing areas such as Henan and Shandong have all gone out to work, and fewer and fewer are growing garlic." said a garlic vendor from Shandong. Now young people are unwilling to farm, and coupled with garlic prices fluctuating up and down, many young people feel that growing garlic does not earn much money, so in recent years the garlic planting area in Henan, Shandong and even northern Jiangsu has been decreasing.

In addition, the cold wave at the beginning of this year led to reduced garlic output in many places. This year's garlic output is not considered high, and its market arrival time has been delayed.

Therefore, since this year's new garlic came onto the market, it has been running at a high level. When the very wet new garlic came onto the market, the price was already five or six yuan per jin, and by the end of June it had reached more than 8 yuan per jin.

Data released by the Ministry of Commerce shows that this year's national garlic inventory is at a low level. Last year's garlic inventory exceeded 2 million tons, while in early March this year it was only about 600,000 tons.