Shan garlic price drops back to normal

The price of some high-priced kitchen goods in the commodity market decreased before the Thingyan holidays. It soothes the daily food expenses, said housewives.
The regular price for large-size Shan garlic was around K4,000 per viss before, but the price of Shan garlic started to increase on 14 December 2022. It gradually rose to K5,100 per viss at the end of December and K6,300 per viss on 19 January 2023.
On 15 February 2023, new Shan garlic started to enter the market at the rate of K5,500 per viss for large sizes. On 23 March, the wholesale prices of new Shan garlic dropped to K2,850 per viss for S-2, K3,200 per viss for S-3, K3,400 per viss for S-4 and K3,600 per viss for S-5, returned to the price rates before mid-December 2022.
While garlic from Shan State fetched K6,300 per viss, the wholesale price of Kyukok garlic was only K3,700-K3,800 per viss. On 23 March, the large-size Shan garlic was wholesaled at K3,600 per viss and the Kyukok garlic at K4,000 per viss.
New Myanmar garlic grown around Pakokku and Mandalay has arrived at their markets, along with new Shan garlic. Myanmar garlic surpasses Shan garlic in price because the former is whiter in colour and lower in moisture. On 23 March, S-2 Shan garlic was priced at K2,850 per viss and Myanmar garlic at K3,700 per viss. Therefore, Shan garlic has a bigger demand than Myanmar garlic in the Yangon market.
Myanmar garlic can only be seen in the market for a few months, while Shan garlic can be seen all year round. Two kinds of garlic – from the Taunggyi and Aungban areas in Shan State – entered the Yangon market, and the price of Aungban garlic is higher than that of Taunggyi garlic.
Although onion, garlic and potato are the products of Myanmar, the same types of foreign products are taking the market share. When the prices of Myanmar products go up, they enter the domestic market. Thus, Myanmar onion, garlic and potato have to be competing with foreign products. — TWA/CT