Rising heat in Japan is putting an additional stress on household budgets in the country. The drought-like situation in the country stunted the growth of leafy vegetables, which in turn caused wholesale prices to soar from 20 to 50 percent, compared to previous years. The difference in prices mentioned is based on figures between July 1, 2013 and Wednesday, July 10, 2013.
The price spike is very noticeable for veggies like lettuce, whose average wholesale price rose 205 percent, compared to the average price that it held for the past five years. Between July 1, 2013 and July 10, 2013, wholesale price of cabbage was 37 percent higher than usual and even spinach price went above 24 percent, compared to averages during the past five years.
On Tuesday, July 9, 2013, wholesale price for lettuce stood at ?217 per kilogram and cabbage was priced at ?97, while spinach was priced at ?646. Even summer vegetables, including peppers and tomatoes were 50 percent above averages during the past five years.
Little rainfall during this season can be counted as one of the major reasons for the current situation. Even the temperature fluctuated in June 2013, which affected the growth of vegetables.
