Typhoon Lekima hits China’s vegetable export hub

Typhoon hits China’s 

vegetable export hub, may 

push up global prices

Global Times,

11 August, 2019

The city of Shouguang in East China's Shandong Province has been left in ruins by torrential rain bought by Typhoon Lekima. Since it is an important vegetable producing and exporting hub in China, experts warned that the disaster may push up vegetable prices in the global market.

A local resident sent the Global Times a video on Sunday showing that some of the vegetable greenhouses of her family had been submerged in water. They have abandoned the greenhouses and evacuated to a safe area.

One vegetable greenhouse costs 300,000 ($42,500) to 400,000 yuan, and many of them were financed with loans, according to the resident.

Last year, Shouguang was hit by the most severe flood in over 40 years and many of the greenhouses were built on government loans after the flood.

Hong Tao, an expert on market regulation of the Ministry of Commerce, told the Global Times that the disaster in Shouguang may drive up world vegetable prices.

"Countries including Russia, Japan and South Korea are major importers of vegetables from Shouguang," Hong said, adding that China has long been a key vegetable exporter in the world with more than $7 billion in exports in 2018.

Cuiling West county in Shouguang has 1,105 mu (74 hectares) of vegetable greenhouses and exports more than 15,000 tons of vegetables to Russia valued at 100 million yuan every year, jiemian.com reported.

Wang Pan, a merchandising manager of a Qingdao-based foreign trade corporation called Lianqiao Group, told the Global Times on Sunday that showed some of their suppliers' plants in the province have been submerged and production has been suspended.

She did not disclose how much of a loss the company faces.

According to a report from the Xinhua News Agency on Sunday, direct economic losses caused by the typhoon have reached 15.75 billion yuan in East China's Zhejiang Province.

An update by the People's Daily showed that at least 32 people were dead, 16 remained missing, and more than 5 million people had been affected as of Sunday afternoon in Zhejiang Province after Typhoon Lekima made landfall in the area.

Lekima was moving north at a speed of 25 to 30 kilometers per hour, and it was forecast to hit the coast of Shandong Province by nightfall on Sunday, the National Meteorological Center warned.

Forecasters have issued 55 rainstorm red alerts in Shandong related to the typhoon.

28 dead after Typhoon Lekima lands in 

east China

Rescuers work at typhoon damaged area in Yongjia County, east China's Zhejiang Province, Aug. 10, 2019. (Xinhua)

 

Rescuers work at the typhoon damaged area in Shanzao Village of Yantan Town in Yongjia County, east China's Zhejiang Province, Aug. 10, 2019.(Photo by Zhao Yong/Xinhua)

A total of 28 people died and 20 remain missing in east China's Zhejiang Province after typhoon Lekima made landfall in the province on Saturday, local authorities said on Sunday morning.

Nearly 1.08 million people have been evacuated to safe places, and close to 5 million people in Zhejiang were affected, said the provincial flood control headquarters.

Aerial photo taken on Aug. 10, 2019 shows Shanzao Village of Yantan Town in Yongjia County, east China's Zhejiang Province. (Xinhua)

The typhoon landed around 1:45 a.m. Saturday in Zhejiang, bringing heavy rainstorms and triggering flash floods. In Yongjia County, torrential downpours caused a landslide that blocked rivers. The barrier lake bursted and flooded people away.

Lekima is expected to churn up the east coast towards Shandong Province on Sunday.