TOKYO — Vegetable prices have dropped significantly, making consumers happy but vexing farmers and retailers.
The price falls are attributable to favorable weather conditions leading to good harvests and a slump in the restaurant industry amid the novel coronavirus pandemic.
At the beginning of December, lettuce was selling for 58 (P27) per head and Chinese cabbage was going for 138 (P64) a head at Shinjuku Yaoya fruit and vegetable shop in Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo. Both prices are more than 40% lower than normal rates.
“The vegetables I buy on a daily basis have gotten cheaper,” a homemaker in her 60s said. “It helps.”
However, vegetable sales are sluggish. Due t…
Keep on reading: Veggie prices plunge in Japan as restaurant industry slumps amid COVID-19 pandemic