SEOUL, November 18 (AJP) - The cost of making kimchi, the country's staple side dish, for a family of four is estimated to decrease by 5.6 percent from last year to 201,151 Korean won, according to the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation (aT).
The estimate came after a survey of prices for about a dozen key ingredients at about 17 farmers' markets and 36 large retailers.
Despite more and more households opting to buy kimchi these days, many South Koreans still maintain the traditional seasonal ritual of kimjang, the process of making and preserving kimchi in preparation for the long, cold winter season.
Unseasonably frequent autumn rains led to poor harvests, driving up wholesale prices for cabbages and radishes. But the government's support measures including discounts aimed at stabilizing the market, helped lower retail prices overall.
Cabbage prices dropped 10 percent and radishes 24 percent, compared to last year. Wholesale prices for agricultural produce are likely to decline further as supplies from southern regions are expected to increase later this month.
"We are releasing government reserves of garlic and onions to stabilize prices during the kimchi-making season and will continue working to ensure stable supplies," said Moon In-cheol, an official at aT.
* This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP.
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