A real wasabi supplier understands the costs that underlie the price wasabi trades for. These costs include planting, harvesting, cultivating, processing, and distribution. The YouTube video explores why wasabi is so expensive.
The Cost of Wasabi
A real wasabi supplier understands their product and the journey from planting to distribution. Each phase of the process requires intricate skills, knowledge, and expertise.
In addition, each phase has costs associated with moving the product to the next phase. For example, in the initial phase, costs associated with renting or purchasing land, preparing the soil, irrigation systems, and pest control.
These costs alone do not contribute to the price of wasabi. There is a great demand for the product and difficulty sourcing or meeting that demand. For example, wasabi requires specific environmental conditions to thrive. Farmers find it challenging to replicate these natural conditions outside of Japan, where the product originates from.
In addition, wasabi has a slow growth rate. The plant takes approximately 18 to 24 months to reach maturity. Furthermore, planting and harvesting have a high failure rate, and there is a limited time for harvesting. These, and other factors contribute to the high price of wasabi.
Many new farmers experience high failure rates due to the challenges of growing wasabi. In addition, there are financial obligations throughout each phase. These combined factors drive the price of wasabi considerably.
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