TOPIC: North Carolina Ginseng

Does anyone have an idea as to the opening prices on ginseng this year (2014)?Also, has anyone heard anything about price predictions regarding where they think that it may top out this year?

up north here we are projecting dry at 2,000 a pound. i just heard the right dealer in n. carolina will be offering 1,400 dry. with these figures i project the highest yr. on record...especially up north here....42 yrs. experience here so if you can get it certified your best bet for your hard earned dollar is bring to to ANY northern dealer...i (heard) billy taylor and others in kentucky are offering 190$ green up north here the right dealer is giving 300 and more for prime root...great season ahead gentleman.. be safe yall

So are you saying that the digger is going to get 2000.00 lb. FOR GOOD GINSENG or the dealer is going to get 2000.00 lb.
Just trying to get an idea as to who is going to get what if it gets that high....

Triton, I think Vermontshang may bq misinformed. I've personally just spoke with a very knowledgeable dealer here in North Carolina who said that he is thinking that we will do well to top out at the 2012 price of around $800.00 per dry pound. I trust this individual and his opinion because he has always been very fair with me, as well as, extremely honest. With that said, I may just bank my \"seng\" in the ground for a better year. I'll probably dig some, but I'm not going to kill my self digging this year unless the prices really start spiking towards the end of the season. Fortunately, I have the luxury of waiting since I know where several descent patches are located. Good luck Triton and stay safe in the woods.

Triton,Market in NY is already at 850 dry beforeb opener. I believe at minimum we see $1400 dry. I will be buying green at my highest ever thus year. As I figure the the 3.4 :1 ratio its going to be a good September at least. Happy Hunting and please if you sell out of state get it certified. Feds have made there rounds in NY and love watching Ebay. Just an FYI...

I would like to point out that the average root count for NY/VT root is far under that of NC
NC does have a small percentage of XX & XLG class root but still far less than NY/VT and the biggest factor is NC diggers tend to harvest a large percentage of very small root even if those are technically legal to sale with the minimum 4 bud scars and a bud where as most NY/VT diggers don't keep fresh roots smaller than thumb size or less than 10 bud scars.
So if we are truly comparing not just apples to apples but size and quality to same the prices should be equal but unfortunately the harvesting and buying culture prohibits it for the most part.

We can look at Wild Ginseng yet another way as an export commodity and value to each States economies.
According to the government over the last 10 years NC has out produced NY 17:1 and VT 69:1
It's no wonder buyers from these States camp out in NC

Looking forward to forum feedback on this post.

all i keep hearing is to expect a 20 to 30 percent decline in price from last year i dont know if they have good information or are trying to make more money buying and reselling fresh root

Why the decline in prices with the Asian market really wonting the wild ginseng... If people sell to early like this month the prices could stay lower... The key to it is to wait, the less the market is seeing it come in the higher the prices will go. It can go up tremendous if people wait, sell all in sept and Oct during digging season they will get enough in for the year and won't offer high prices. The diggers and buyers need to take this into consideration. The market will have no choice but to drive the prices up!!!

You make some valid points.
Overall there is always short term and long term market supply and demand to consider.
The current short term market is trying to find it's legs.
There is plenty of dried root in the international market to cover short term demand due to a bumper crop absorbed at historically high prices in 2013.
The \"fresh market\" niche consumes but a fraction of the total production and will dry up soon leaving the bulk of new crop production to be absorbed into a dry market that is already saturated.
I ask you folks to consider banking your investment in the ground where it will yield a growth dividend. I can increase the odds of that yield managing my resources visiting my sites picking ripe berries separating the (1-3) seeds and planting around 1\" deep into fertile dark loam (no clay) and carefully pinching off the tops of any plants remaining in my plots to protect from the eye site of poachers and other dishonest thieves.