The recent surge in shuttlecock prices in China has sparked controversy about badminton becoming a sport for the wealthy.
According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP), major shuttlecock manufacturers, including Yonex and Double Happiness, have recently raised prices by over 20 percent. Rising raw material costs contributed to the surge.
A pack of 12 Yonex ASO2 shuttlecocks sold for 149 yuan (approximately $20) on Taobao, China’s largest online marketplace, revealed a 24 percent increase from last month’s price.
The Shanghai-based Liberation Daily newspaper interviewed Li Yang, who runs a shuttlecock factory in Anhui province. He said the price of low-quality feathers has tripled, and the cost of higher-quality feathers has at least doubled. He added that goose and duck feathers are primarily used.
Liu Zengjin from the Institute of Agricultural Science and Technology Information believes changes in China’s livestock industry have raised shuttlecock prices.
Liu stated that as pork prices have fallen, demand for pork has increased, leading to a decrease in demand for goose and duck meat. Consequently, feather production for shuttlecocks has also decreased. Pork prices in China dropped by 2.7% in the first half of this year compared to last year.
A post on Weibo with over 4 million views goes, “Badminton has become an expensive sport with a salary of 20,000 yuan (approximately $2,800).” Another user expressed concern: “Badminton became a sport for rich people.”
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