How to reduce the "last mile" cost of vegetables

Last year, the price of vegetables in Hangzhou rose by 16.6%. How can we make the vegetable basket more "light"?

Farmers' Market Public Benefits, Lowering the Cost of “Last Kilometer” In 2010, the prices of vegetables all over the country rose all the way. According to statistics, vegetable prices in Hangzhou rose 16.6% from January to November, and people’s “vegetable baskets” became increasingly heavy.

Faced with this situation, both countries and local governments have introduced measures to stabilize prices.

Yesterday, Hangzhou residents paid attention to Hangzhou vegetable prices in their speeches at the Fifth Session of the Ninth Hangzhou CPPCC National Committee, and proposed that the farmers' market be publicized and the cost of the “last mile” really be lowered.

Food Vendors Reduced Access Costs at Multi-Branches. With regard to the reasons for the high prices of vegetables, Hangzhou residents conducted a visit to investigate and analyze the impact of several major causes of bad weather. In 2010, disasters occurred frequently and re-emerged. Especially in October, the country’s important vegetable supply base in Hainan was flooded again. As a result, vegetable production in various parts of the country was severely reduced, pushing up vegetable purchase prices to some extent.

The cost increases. Including production costs, such as pesticides, agricultural films, fertilizers and other upstream agricultural materials, prices have boosted the rise in vegetable prices; operating costs, from production, acquisition, transportation, wholesale, retail, etc., require costs. Finally, the expenses for stall fees, utility bills, and rents rose.

Fewer business outlets. In recent years, Hangzhou City has carried out upgrading and reform of farmers' markets. After cancelling and integrating some small farms, the current urban area has only retained 141 standard vegetable farms. This has led to several situations: First, there are fewer outlets for vegetable vendors and entry qualifications. The competition is fierce, and the cost of entering the market is raised. Second, due to the improvement of the business environment and the improvement of the cleaning requirements, the related expenses are increased. Third, it is easy to make the vegetable market form a monopoly in a certain area.

Trying to build a base for agricultural products in other places The recent decline in vegetable prices should be attributed to the concerted efforts of many factors, and the effects of regulation and control began to show. But this is an administrative measure rather than a market adjustment, not a permanent solution.

Hangzhou residents suggested that Hangzhou should do everything possible to develop vegetable production, further increase financial investment to ensure that the city's leafy vegetables supply is the focus, in order to achieve a balanced annual listing of vegetables as the goal, with a focus on leafy vegetable production functional areas, alpine vegetables, suburban years The construction of such bases as sex vegetables will effectively increase the self-sufficiency of local seasonal vegetables and provide a solid foundation for ensuring market supply and stabilizing vegetable prices.

At the same time, taking into account the limited area of ​​agricultural land, it is also possible to learn from the Beijing model and try to build an agricultural product base in another place.

Proposed construction of large-scale vegetable distribution center Currently, the two major vegetable wholesale markets in Hangzhou (Hangzhou Vegetable Wholesale Market and Liangzhu Vegetable Wholesale Market) are responsible for the wholesale vegetable trade in the city, with a daily trading volume of about 2,800 tons, accounting for 70 per day of Hangzhou's average daily supply. %about.

It is suggested that the government should increase investment in the construction of large-scale vegetable distribution centers and large-scale comprehensive markets that can cover a certain urban area and realize large circulation, large networks, and large markets.

Encourage “agricultural super docking”

Judging from the experience of other cities, since the launch of “Agricultural Super Matchmaking”, it has achieved positive results in reducing circulation costs and securing market supply. Chain supermarkets purchase agricultural products through "agricultural super-docking", the circulation cost is reduced by an average of 15%, and the profits originally earned by middlemen can be directly transferred to consumers and farmers.

It is recommended that supermarkets should import agricultural products from bases included in the city's "vegetable basket" project into supermarkets, and properly reduce or exempt various expenses. The "vegetable basket" project construction unit of the base direct supermarket counters shall clearly define its responsibilities and obligations, and conduct concession sales during periods of abnormal price.

The public goods market of farmers' markets has a problem of “last mile” in the production and marketing of vegetables. From the wholesale market to the community farmers' market, the “price increase” of vegetable prices is particularly evident. In the "last mile," it is normal to turn vegetable prices upside down. The increase in stall fees in urban markets is also an important reason for the rise in vegetable sales prices.

The “cabbage basket” is accompanied by thousands of households and connected with the livelihoods of thousands of vegetable sellers. The food court is the most basic place to protect the people’s livelihood. The farmers’ market should be characterized as a public welfare non-profit organization and enjoy public welfare charges. The treatment is built by the government and is given to the company for commercial operation without compensation. The competent department must strictly supervise the reform of the farm, rent, and management fees, and really lower the cost of the “last mile”.