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[igorG]

In suburban Guangzhou, most of food items in farmers markets are drastically up to compare to December. The holiday was obviously an excuse. Wen Jiao Bao's visits to the city and his speeches of how he would stabilize the prices were a load of cr*p.

What are farmers' markets prices in your areas after holidays?

[The Great Wall of Whiner]

I am told that I am in an expensive area of China, but I just did grocery shopping a few days ago so....

All imported foods skyrocketed. You would think with a so-called "stronger yuan", the prices of foreign foods would go down. Not so where I am.

Vegetables all all up. Ridiculously so. Starting to get to the point where even vegetables are getting closer to prices back at home.

Beef used to be about 21 yuan a jin, now it's hovering around 30 yuan a jin which is over a 33% increase. The absolute cheapest place for actual 100% beef in town is 25 yuan a jin now.

Chicken is at over 14 yuan a jin. Wings even more expensive. Much more expensive than back home. Duck used to be the cheaper alternative but now it is the same price as chicken used to be at around 10 yuan a jin.

I hate to be a part of the problem but I'm going to have the raise the fees to my students, I can't afford the increases in everything. I am starting to have to change my diet to a more Chinese one, using smaller portions eating more rice/noodles and less meat.

I didn't sign up for this...

[LarssonCrew]

I noticed the price of beef go through the roof.

In a small muslim run butcher it's 22 yuan for 500g, but in Walmart where I shopped before Spring Festival, the cheapest was 38 yuan for 500g. I bought 500g and made two 1/4 pounders for me and my friend, but that cost more than $5 just for the meat!

They also had some beef for 98 yuan 500g, I told the guy he must be joking when he suggested I buy that.

Still, chicken *beep* work out at about 5 yuan for one, which is much cheaper than back in the UK.

[Old Surrender]

I've noticed a couple items have gone up. One of fave street snacks (something the resembles a bbq tofu and veggie sandwich) went from 2 to 2.5 and a bottle of Qingdao beer went from 4 to 5.9!

[Shroob]

I've only been in China for 4 months, but I have noticed an increase in prices since I arrived.

[wangdaning]

Here is an article that talks about the issue
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/02/09/us-food-fao-idUSTRE8180Y420120209

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization also puts out its report. You can visit their website. Here is a link to their most recent report (monitoring report):
http://www.fao.org/giews/english/gfpm/GFPM_12_2011.pdf

It has been a harsh winter in much of the world (and a harsh summer in the counterparts). It is not surprising that food prices are rising. Doesn't matter how strong the Yuan is, if global food price is on the rise it will rise here as well. At the market were I get my vegetables, pork, eggs, and occasionally chicken/fish, the prices were pretty consistent throughout the holiday period. Milk is up a bit. Beer went up late summer but has stayed the same since (they re-branded the beer I buy and upped the price.

Beef and mutton are both up. Not many places to buy them though. My cheese guy hasn't raised the price.

[igorG]

[imjustme]

My observations:

a) Honghe cigarettes recently went up from 5 to 6 RMB a pack, a 20% increase. I switched over to Hongmei, which go for 4 RMB. Inflation can be a friend in disguise: it makes you look around for bargains. I've also found that baijiu is not so bad when mixed with Coke to mask the flavor--great big savings over imported booze right there.

1) The US is exporting inflation by printing up new dollars which find their way into foreign banks. China can combat this up to a point, but as long as the world economy remains interlinked, only up to a point.

2) Price inflation is not bad, for workers, if wage inflation is outstripping it. In a booming economy, we should expect to see everything going up. I'm making roughly 30% more than I did just last year, and see other teachers enjoying similar pay hikes, unexpected: whatever price inflation we've been seeing is more than offset by the higher pay.

3) Alarmists back home in the States (my home country) love to trumpet the "thousand dollar loaf of bread" which may come from fiscal mismanagement. In a country bordering China, you may pay 1000 won (local currency) for a loaf of bread, but you're making two million a month, and so no worries. One of history's greatest economic miracles played out with hyperinflation in BOTH prices and wages--with a net result of turning third-world people into first-. I earnestly HOPE that China's going down the same path--expect inflation as the economy inflates; hope to see your wages rising as quickly as prices do, or more so.

For me, in sum, wage inflation is outstripping price inflation. Your experience may vary, of course. Let's not forget though that wages, like prices, are negotiable. Demand a higher wage, citing price inflation if you like, and in China today you may very likely get it. Good luck to everyone!

[Shroob]

[wangdaning]

[igorG]

Look, i've said; "i don't quite agree". So, your motives for hiking the imported goods is understandable; however, reasoning with a harsh winter in my area or monopolizing farming here is unjustifiable to me. Perhaps, you didn't "monopolize" but suggested it and that aside the cold winter claims put me into a disagreeable mode.

Again, farming is an isolated field in many places of the country, and locals almost eat and sleep with cows, pigs, chicken or on their rice fields (most of these aren't imported at all). Sat TV sets of some of them may offer suggestions they are in touch with happenings around their country and the world, although that may also be overshadowed by their poor understanding of economy. What they most likely grasp is that prices everywhere are rising, and so they follow.

[wangdaning]

Relax Igor, I know you are frustrated, but it is not me who is doing this. The market where I live is obviously different than the market where you live, people cannot drive up to the stalls.

I was trying to get the point across that the government does set prices, a price ceiling. That ceiling, if raised, will encourage producers to raise prices. I misspoke before about during the holiday. The prices did go up during the holiday (because it was the holiday and the people were working they got more money). Other than that, I have seen little increase in locally produced goods.

You seem angry, and your post is a bit confusing. It seems you are trying to say I am Chinese. I am certainly not. I am just giving the perspective of someone from a different place in China.

And yes, when a person raises prices I do ask why. Usually they explain, that is why I know that there are price ceilings. Why does 7/11 not sell cigarettes, asked many times, finally got an answer.

I did not mean to upset you with global food prices rising or output issues, I simply thought it was a variable that might effect this situation.

Again Igor, just try to relax, it is just a discussion.

[igorG]

Now, I am confused. Frustration as oppose to debate? Would you be kind enough to point to some of the upseting and angry parts of my previous post? And, please let me know where i have suggested that you are Chinese? If so, I truly appologize.

As for the perspective of your posts and the discussion, I have no problem with as long as you can see the perspective of my posts. In fact, I am pleased there are replies on the topic, but I am sorry i have been unable to demonstrate my happiness.

Regarding my frustration which honestly is aimed at the inflation only, i regretfully don't buy your explanations. The last one suggests some sort of local regulations which in my view are nonexistent.

More importantly on the issue of holidays, the prices have gone up and are staying up in the region where i am. If they went up 'cause of holidays, they should've come down after. But they haven't. I can't imagine having another holiday that would increase prices tomorrow.