The price of Rosa roxburghii (cili) is noticeably affected by origin, quality and season.

Rosa roxburghii is a distinctive fruit of the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau region. The fruit is oblate and densely covered with fine spines, and it is famous for its high vitamin C content, earning it the reputation of "king of vitamin C". The forms commonly sold on the market include fresh fruit, dried fruit, Rosa roxburghii juice and processed products such as freeze-dried fruit and candied fruit, and prices vary considerably among these forms.

The main factors affecting the price of Rosa roxburghii are origin, quality, grade and marketing season. Guizhou is the main producing area, where supply is abundant and prices are usually more affordable than in markets elsewhere; wild-harvested fruit is limited in quantity and often costs more than cultivated fruit. Fresh fruit has thin skin and high juice content and does not keep or ship well, so the losses and logistics costs of long-distance transport are also added to the final retail price.

In terms of season, Rosa roxburghii mostly ripens and comes to market in late summer and early autumn. When supply is concentrated in large volumes, prices fall noticeably, while prices are relatively high at the start of the season or out of season. In recent years, Rosa roxburghii has been processed into juice, beverages and other health foods, and market demand has gradually expanded, keeping the market for dried fruit and processed products generally stable.

When choosing Rosa roxburghii, fresh fruit is best if the fruit is plump, bright yellow in color and undamaged, while for dried fruit you should check that it is dry and free of mold. It is advisable to compare quotes from direct-from-origin sellers and regular channels, and to distinguish between grades, dryness levels and wild versus cultivated differences, as these details are all reflected in the final transaction price.