celery

" Celery is grown year-round; however, it is more difficult to grow than most fruits and vegetables. Celery is one of the most commonly grown vegetables in China. And China is also a main celery export country. In 2000, the quantity of Chinese celery export to US is 203 tons, worth 62000 US$, but no import in 2001. On average, US consumers used 1.8 billion pounds of celery annually during 2002-2004. Although f.o.b. prices for celery can fluctuate widely (largely due to weather variations), the trend in celery prices during the past decade was relatively flat. Between 1992-94 and 2002-04, nominal f.o.b. point prices increased just 6 percent. Unlike storable commodities such as potatoes, fresh-market celery exhibits a weak seasonal price pattern that reflects relatively consistent domestic marketing throughout most of the year. Celery prices also follow a pronounced 3-year cycle, which may reflect recurring weather patterns. Like many vegetables, the proportion of the retail value of celery accounted for by the shipping-point price has been in a slow but steady decline. Although a number of factors probably account for this trend, one explanation may be that farm prices are rising more slowly because productivity is growing faster (as efficiency increases) in the farm sector than in the retail sector."