Analysis of the Price Trend of Poria and Its Influencing Factors

Poria is a commonly used traditional Chinese medicinal material, the dried sclerotium of the fungus Poria cocos (family Polyporaceae). It mostly parasitizes the roots of pine trees and is mainly produced in Yunnan, Anhui, Hubei and other producing areas. Its medicinal properties are mild and its uses are wide-ranging; it is used both in prescriptions and often in dietary supplements, and market demand is relatively stable, so its price trend has always drawn the attention of growers and medicinal material traders.

The price of Poria is not fixed but fluctuates continuously with producing area, year, specification and the relationship between supply and demand. Poria from traditional producing areas usually commands a relatively higher price because of its excellent quality; when new goods come onto the market in concentrated batches, supply increases and the market often declines somewhat, while when old-crop inventory is on the low side, prices may rise again, showing an overall pattern of cyclical fluctuation.

Price gaps between different specifications are also fairly obvious. Commonly seen on the market are fresh Poria, dried Poria blocks, Poria slices, Poria cubes and Poria peel, among others. Generally speaking, the price of ungraded goods is lower than that of selected goods, and processed products such as slices and cubes are mostly priced higher than the raw medicinal material because of losses and labor costs. High-quality goods that are plump, fine and white in cross-section, and free of insect damage and mildew often fetch a better price.

To keep track of Poria price movements, you can pay more attention to purchasing conditions in producing areas and quoted prices at medicinal material markets, and compare prices at several places before making a decision. When buying, besides comparing prices, pay even more attention to texture, cross-section and smell, and beware of inferior goods passed off as good ones; growers, meanwhile, can combine market trends to reasonably arrange the timing of harvesting and selling, and avoid blindly following the crowd and suffering losses.