Prices for leafy vegetables rose in Japan due to September rains

In Japan, there is a sharp rise in the price of leafy vegetables, including lettuce, spinach, and Chinese cabbage. In some cases, the cost of lettuce has increased approximately fourfold compared to prices a month ago, while spinach and cabbage have doubled in price. The cause was heavy rainfall and a lack of sunlight in Honshu in September. In Osaka, rainfall reached approximately 1.5 times the seasonal norm, and sunshine duration decreased to two-thirds of normal figures.

Prolonged rains led to a deterioration in the quality of maturing crops, hindered harvesting, and caused a reduction in supplies nationwide, with some plots recording an almost complete loss of the harvest. Farmers preparing winter plantings were also affected: due to waterlogging and soil compaction on cabbage farms in Osaka, young seedlings are unable to develop a root system. Some transplants remain in greenhouses because the fields are too wet for planting, which may lead to a shortage of winter vegetables and further price increases.

At the same time, the prices of onions, daikon, and carrots remained relatively stable. Vegetables coming from the northern regions — Tohoku and Hokkaido — suffered less from the precipitation, as unfavorable weather conditions manifested themselves to a lesser extent there.