China Badminton Shuttlecock Prices Rise 20% in One Month
"Became a Sport for the Wealthy," Amateur Players Express Complaints
Pork Prices Fall, Demand for Duck and Goose Decreases
In China, the price of badminton shuttlecocks has skyrocketed, leading to complaints that badminton has become a "sport for the wealthy." On the 21st, Chinese media outlet Pengtai reported, "Major shuttlecock manufacturers such as Yonex, Double Happiness, Lingmei, and Victor have announced price increases of over 20% in the past few weeks." It was also reported that the price of Yonex's flagship shuttlecock AS02 has risen by 24% within a month.
The reason for the price increase is attributed to the rise in raw material costs. Li Yang, owner of a shuttlecock factory in Anhui Province, told local media, "The price of low-cost feathers, which are used as shuttlecock materials, has tripled, and mid-range feathers have increased by at least twice."
There is an analysis that the cause lies in "pork." As pork prices have fallen and demand has increased, the demand for substitutes such as goose and duck meat has decreased. Consequently, companies that use goose or duck feathers for shuttlecock production have found it difficult to procure these feathers, leading them to reduce production and raise prices. Pork prices in China fell by 2.7% in the first half of this year compared to the previous year.
Researcher Liu Zhengjin from the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences explained, "As meat demand increased, the demand for ducks and geese decreased, and the number of ducks slaughtered declined, reducing the supply of feathers available for shuttlecock production."
As a result, badminton enthusiasts in China have expressed dissatisfaction, saying, "Badminton has suddenly become a sport for the wealthy." On the local social networking service (SNS) Weibo, a post stating, "Badminton has become an unaffordable sport for those earning 20,000 yuan (about 3.8 million won) a month," garnered over 4 million views and widespread sympathy.
There are predictions that the recent shuttlecock price increase will dampen the activities of badminton enthusiasts in China. In 2022, Shanghai-based iResearch Consulting Group stated that badminton is one of the widely popular sports in China, with over 30% of young people enjoying it as one of the top three sports. It is known that 3 to 4 ducks are needed to produce the 16 feathers required for one shuttlecock. Shuttlecocks are divided into feather and nylon (plastic) types, with the feather material being so expensive that the price difference can be two to three times higher.
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