Price of Pak Ka-naa (Chinese kale)

[loong]

I often have an excess of vegetables that I grow on my plot and the Missus will sometimes sell some to friends and workmates for a bit of extra pocket money.

Seeing the Ka-naa that she took in to work, the woman who sells food there wanted to order 10 Kg and pay 5Bt/Kg. She reckons that 5 Bt/Kg is what she pays at the moment. I know that she is not interested that they are grown 100% organically, but 5 Baht?? that seems to be taking the piss to me.

I told the missus that I would rather chop and compost them than sell for that price.

Does anyone know what the retail/bulk/wholesale price for Ka-naa is at the moment?

To be honest I don't have any idea. The missus usually sells in bunches for 10 baht.

[recom273]

Yeah, just bought a bunch of 8 stalks for 10B as it goes, then 5B/Kg is taking the piss but I will check at the local wholesale market, where they sell big clear bin liners to the restaurants, must be 5Kg bags.

[kickstart]

Just asked the misses she said about 1 kg 8 bart , I said why so cheap ,she said they is a lot around, our local wholesale market,Sarlaburi,sell's it at 5 bart/kg.

Misses said 2 monthes ago it was expensive,so every one was growing it ,now it is cheap,in 2 months time it will be expensive again, same as coriander,now that is cheap in 2 months time.........

Another case of TIT.

[RedBullHorn]

Not another case of TIT, more like a usual case of supply and demand mechanism. Most seasonal farmers will grow according to calender's best seller.

The last time i grew a veg for sale was pak boong because the seasonal price kicks in at ฿20/kg. Pak Boong is a fast growing veg and need only 25 day to harvest... by that time, the price drop to only ฿6/kg ! From there on, i never touch veggy again~*

Edited January 24, 2014 by RedBullHorn

[loong]

Well, I was in Tesco's yesterday and took a look out of interest. If wholesale prices have dropped, they are certainly not passing the saving to the customer. 2 very sad looking stalks for 5 Bt. Last time I looked, it was 4 or 5 stalks for 5 Bt.

I remember reading that at the time of the vegetarian festival, wholesale price of Ka-naa rose from 15 to 70 Bt/Kg in October.

Found the link

http://www.pattayamail.com/business/thai-vegetable-prices-rise-ahead-of-vegetarian-festival-17510

I also read somewhere that because of the troubles in Bangkok, some who would normally take their produce to Bangkok wholesalers are diverting to provincial wholesale markets. I guess that this could cause a shortage in Bangkok and a glut elsewhere.

[Jotham79]

I used to look at prices in major stores and it is just not realistic. They have to buy tonnes and have special wholesalers they buy from. They pay a premium for top line produce in volume. The OP was talking about selling a few kg. The price you need to look at is the price in the rural morning and afternoon markets. Half of our family works the markets. Leafy vegetables have a very short shelf life out in the heat and a seller loses a lot when prices are down. They carry it to market (sometimes at 2:30 am) and sit with it in a stall they pay rent on....or they go into the market at 2 in the afternoon and sit in the heat. The rule we follow is if we can sell it for more than it costs to harvest, then we do it. If not we let my BIL's wife pick what she wants to retail in a small market down the road. When prices are down you see a lot of produce wasted.

Well, I was in Tesco's yesterday and took a look out of interest. If wholesale prices have dropped, they are certainly not passing the saving to the customer. 2 very sad looking stalks for 5 Bt. Last time I looked, it was 4 or 5 stalks for 5 Bt.

I remember reading that at the time of the vegetarian festival, wholesale price of Ka-naa rose from 15 to 70 Bt/Kg in October.

Found the link

http://www.pattayamail.com/business/thai-vegetable-prices-rise-ahead-of-vegetarian-festival-17510

I also read somewhere that because of the troubles in Bangkok, some who would normally take their produce to Bangkok wholesalers are diverting to provincial wholesale markets. I guess that this could cause a shortage in Bangkok and a glut elsewhere.