Analysis of Dan Shen Market Trends
Dan Shen (Salvia miltiorrhiza) is a perennial herbaceous plant belonging to the Lamiaceae family, commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). It has an annual sales volume exceeding ten thousand tons and contains tanshinone, which is a key herb for gynecological conditions, primarily treating uterine bleeding, irregular menstruation, blood stasis, abdominal pain, dysmenorrhea, amenorrhea, and has beneficial effects on treating coronary heart disease.
1. Basic Information about Dan Shen
Dan Shen is widely produced, with major production areas concentrated in Shandong, Shanxi, Shaanxi, and Hebei provinces. Secondary production areas include Henan, Sichuan, and Anhui. Among these, Shandong is the largest production area, and its red-skinned Dan Shen has a higher content of active ingredients, making it more favored by merchants, with prices 2-5 yuan higher than Dan Shen from other regions.
Dan Shen has a growth cycle of one year, being sown in spring and harvested in autumn. Most production areas use seedlings for propagation, while some regions in Shandong utilize Dan Shen seeds for seedling cultivation before transplanting. The yield is generally moderate, with an average yield of about 300-400 kilograms per mu.
Dan Shen is not demanding in terms of cultivation techniques and soil requirements, allowing it to be grown in most regions of the country. However, continuous high temperatures or rainy weather can lead to root rot. Additionally, Dan Shen should not be planted consecutively, as this increases the risk of pests and diseases, significantly reducing yield.
2. Historical Market Trends of Dan Shen
Dan Shen is a major medicinal herb with numerous production areas, and its price has generally remained stable, rarely experiencing sharp fluctuations. This stability can be attributed to two main factors:
1. Huge Sales Volume: Dan Shen is a major medicinal herb with an annual sales volume of tens of thousands of tons, and having thousands of tons in stock is common. Given such a large inventory, it is difficult for external merchants to intervene. Even if a few merchants harvest dozens of tons, it does not significantly impact the market.
2. Multiple Cultivation Areas: Dan Shen is cultivated in Shandong, Shanxi, Shaanxi, and Hebei, among other regions. Often, a reduction in production in one area does not directly affect the overall market due to the large inventory and sales volume. A decrease in one or two production areas or an increase in others does not lead to significant price changes.
The historical price trend of Dan Shen shows that since 2010, prices have remained stable, with a notable increase in 2013 when prices rose to 15 yuan/kg (for Shandong quality). Afterward, prices stabilized around 12 yuan/kg. The market remained stable until 2017 when demand drove prices up to 18 yuan/kg, but this lasted only two months before correcting to 11 yuan. After the Spring Festival in 2021, the demand from pharmaceutical companies led to a price increase to 13 yuan/kg, and the market is expected to remain stable in the short term.
3. Future Market Analysis of Dan Shen
Currently, the trading price of Dan Shen in the Anguo market is stable at around 13 yuan/kg for bulk goods and 15-16 yuan/kg for selected goods. This year, the cultivation situation in various production areas is generally consistent with last year, and the growth conditions of Dan Shen are at a normal level, so the overall yield in autumn is not expected to change significantly. In the short term, the market for Dan Shen is expected to remain stable, with little motivation for further price increases.
(Disclaimer: The above information and product prices are based on market research in Anguo and should not be used as reference data for transactions. Images are sourced from the internet.)
Are you “watching” me?
