Shortage of feathers sideswipes badminton fans

The increasing popularity of badminton and the tight supply of feathers in China have boosted the price of shuttlecocks, causing a strain on the wallets of badminton enthusiasts. Taking the No 5 model of the popular RSL shuttlecock as an example, Xuebao, using a pseudonym, said that a tube containing about a dozen shuttlecocks used to cost around 90 yuan ($12.40), but now the minimum price is 120 yuan.

Xuebao, manager of a badminton club in Beijing's Chaoyang district, said that the price of domestic shuttlecock brand RSL has been rising significantly since March.

"I can recall three rounds of announcements made by the company, and each time the price increased by about 10 percent," he said.

Li Qihu, owner of a badminton shop in Chaoyang, said the across-the-board price increase first emerged at the beginning of this year, and the average price is currently up 40 percent year-on-year.

"The most popular type of the 05 model of Yonex was sold at 125 yuan in the past, but now costs 180 yuan," he said.

Moreover, Li said badminton manufacturers appear to be having a hard time meeting demand.

"I usually put in orders for 2,000 tubes of shuttlecocks each month to suppliers, but now I can only receive 200 to 300 tubes," he said. "I've never experienced such a price hike and such a short supply."

This month, hashtags related to the price boom have been trending on social media platform Sina Weibo, with netizens complaining that badminton has become a rich person's sport, and even with a monthly salary of 20,000 yuan a person cannot be sure they can afford to play.

According to a report released by the General Administration of Sport of China in 2022, badminton is the most popular racket sport in China and is the third most-popular sporting activity among teenagers and adults, after jogging and jumping rope.

Li said he has noticed an increase in the number of young badminton enthusiasts in recent years.

Xuebao said nearly all badminton courts where his club members often gather are fully booked during peak hours on weekday nights and weekends.

"The club now has more than 1,500 members, and a large number of them got into the sport over the past two years," he said. "And they are willing to spend money on high-end shuttlecocks, rackets and apparel," he said. "The growing popularity of the sport could be playing a role in straining shuttle supplies and driving up their prices."

Another possible culprit behind the higher prices is the lower demand for the meat of ducks and geese, whose feathers are used to make shuttlecocks, according to industry insiders.

In addition to leading shuttlecock manufacturers such as Yonex and Victor, Li said that a number of emerging producers have emerged in recent years, meaning a smaller supply of feathers have to be distributed even more widely across different channels.

Liu Zengjin, a researcher at the Institute of Agricultural Science and Technology Information at Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences, said during an interview with Jiefang Daily, a newspaper in Shanghai, that a decline in pork prices has resulted in higher demand for pork and a lower demand for the fowl.

"The phenomenon has prompted livestock farmers to quit raising poultry, meaning there are fewer feathers available for making shuttlecocks," he said.

Liu said that shuttlecock prices are expected to remain high for the rest of this year, and supplies will remain tight.

"Despite the ballooning price, high-end shuttlecocks are still selling out quickly at the store," he said. "Badminton enthusiasts value the better control, feel and sound offered by more expensive shuttlecocks."