YANTAI -- As December ushers in significant temperature drops across China, Shouguang, home to the country's biggest vegetable production and wholesale market, is stepping up supply to meet a steadily growing demand of fresh and affordable vegetables nationwide.

The county-level city in Weifang, east China's Shandong Province, is a key vegetable distribution hub and major base for greenhouse-grown produce, supplying approximately nine million tons of vegetables to the whole country every year.

"Buyers from all over the country, places like Qingdao, Weihai, and Yantai [all in Shandong Province] and even the faraway northeast China, come here to pick up goods," said Li Jinyu, a wholesaler.

Currently, best-selling vegetables at the market include beans and peppers from Guangdong and Yunnan, Chinese cabbage from Hubei, as well as pumpkins and winter melons from Guangdong and Guangxi.

"The daily trading volume (at our vegetable market) is about 6,000 tons, with about 200 varieties of vegetables traded every day. To guarantee the supply, we have strengthened cooperation with vegetable-growing areas, expanded sourcing channels and increase transportation frequency. We will try our best to stabilize the prices and ensure an adequate supply of quality vegetables for citizens," said Wang Haitao, an official from Shouguang Bureau of Commerce.

Shouguang boasts 157,000 such greenhouses, growing more than 10 varieties of vegetables such as cucumbers, eggplants, and tomatoes. The local greenhouse vegetables are in their peak season, with daily trade volumes reaching over 800 tons in places like Jitai Town.

"We've made a detailed production plan from the very beginning. By utilizing the different features of greenhouses and arched greenhouses and staggering the cultivation reasonably, we've been able to ensure a steady supply of fresh vegetables all year round," said Meng Lingxin, manager of the Jitai Town Vegetable Planting Base.

Apart from being an important distribution center and major producer of vegetables, Shouguang also plays a critical role in monitoring national vegetable prices. The Shouguang Vegetable Price Index, released daily, serves as a "barometer" for vegetable prices nationwide. The index tracks 12 major categories and 233 subcategories of vegetables and offers real-time insights into price fluctuations through big data analysis and early warning, providing a reliable reference for the city's vegetable sourcing and distribution plans. "The weather will become colder, so local vegetables will grow slower. However, vegetable suppliers from southern regions will increase their volume. Therefore, we expect vegetable prices to remain stable in the days ahead," said Cui Xiaojing, a vegetable price index analyst.