On May 5, according to Thai media news, Thailand's scorching summer weather led to a decrease in vegetable production, and vegetable prices rose sharply. According to data from the Kasikorn Bank Research Center, the average price of vegetables during the 2024 hot season increased by 40% compared to last year.
According to the data, the average price of coriander, green onion, celery, cucumber, long cowpea, bitter gourd, lemon, baby corn, kale and tender ginger has increased from 55 baht/kg in 2023 to 78 baht/kg, while the 5 vegetables with skyrocketing prices are:
1. Celery: up 76%, the price in April this year was 111 baht/kg, compared to 64 baht/kg in the same period last year;
2. Coriander: up 59%, the price in April this year was 173 baht/kg, compared to 109 baht/kg in the same period last year;
3. Bitter gourd: up 44%, the price in April this year was 53 baht/kg, compared to 37 baht/kg in the same period last year;
4. Long cowpea: up 40%, the price in April this year was 81 baht/kg, compared to 58 baht/kg in the same period last year;
5. Cucumber: up 38%, the price was 36 baht/kg in April this year, compared to 26 baht/kg in the same period last year.
At the same time, the data shows that the rise in vegetable prices has affected three major consumer groups, namely 24 million households in Thailand, 680,000 restaurants in Thailand and 1,753 fruit and vegetable food processing enterprises in the country.
In addition, the Kasikorn Bank Research Center estimates that vegetable prices will gradually decline in the remaining months of 2024 due to seasonal factors, but the average price of vegetables will remain high throughout the year. At the same time, vegetable prices are likely to be more expensive in the next few years due to the volatility of weather conditions.