The reason padding and shuttlecocks are so expensive is because of pigs?[中돋보기]

Because pork has become cheaper
Demand for ducks and geese decreases, affecting padding and shuttlecocks

The fall in pork prices in China is affecting the rise in prices of padding and badminton shuttlecocks worn in the cold winter. As the price of pork fell and demand increased, the amount of slaughter of geese and ducks, which are substitutes, decreased, and as a result, the prices of goose and duck feathers, which are used as raw materials for padding and shuttlecocks, soared.

According to China’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs on the 16th, the average pork wholesale market price, which had been showing signs of recovery since the second quarter of this year, has been falling on a weekly basis since October. The price, which was 24.89 yuan per kg in October, fell to 24.16 yuan as of the 12th of this month. Experts predict that prices are likely to fall further by the end of the year due to an oversupply of pigs. In China, pork prices plummeted last year and fell 2.7% in the first half of this year.

As Chinese consumers began to look for more pork due to price declines, demand for substitutes such as goose and duck meat decreased. As the number of geese and ducks slaughtered has decreased, the supply of feathers used to produce padding and shuttlecocks has also decreased.

In fact, the price of padding fillers is soaring in China. The price of 1kg of goose down filling (90% down, white) distributed in China rose 6.94% from 1,069.66 yuan on May 4 to 1,143.92 yuan on November 4. The price of duck down filling (90% down, white) also rose 11.15% from 481.9 yuan on May 6 to 535.62 yuan on November 4.

Yonex shuttlecock appears to be sold out. Chinese online shopping mall

The price of badminton shuttlecocks made from goose or duck feathers is also rising.

In a recent report, Chinese media Sina Economic Daily said, “The price of badminton shuttlecocks has increased by 20-60% compared to last year,” and “The saying, ‘I can’t afford to play badminton with a monthly salary of 20,000 yuan (about 3.88 million won)’ has spread like a trend.” . Yonex’s shuttlecock price soared from 210 yuan to 275 yuan, and the price of a high-end shuttlecock exceeded 400 yuan (about 53,000 won). Chinese netizens even called the shuttlecock price rise a “next-generation financial product.”

While the price of shuttlecocks is rising due to a decrease in the demand for goose and duck meat, the price increase is becoming steeper as the demand for shuttlecocks is rapidly increasing due to the popularity of badminton in China. The General Administration of Sports of China estimates that the number of people who enjoy badminton in China reaches 250 million. The badminton market has also grown. It is difficult to make reservations for badminton courts in cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Jinan, and Hefei.

Mr. Chen, a Chinese who runs a sports store in Zhengzhou, said, “I try to find shuttlecocks that are cost-effective, but they are often sold out, so I can’t even stock them in the store.” “It happens a lot,” he explained.

Reporter Kim Jin-seon [email protected]