Poor conditions leave markets empty

The Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta has hundreds of State-owned markets that are either vacant or are operating ineffectively because of inconvenient locations or high rental fees.

The Khanh An Commune Market in the Khanh An resettlement area in Ca Mau Province’s U Minh District opened in 2008 and had a few dozen traders, but eventually closed.

There was no river wharf for loading and unloading goods, and there were few clients, according to the Khanh An Commune People’s Committee.

The Vinh Gia market in An Giang Province’s Tri Ton District has been left vacant since it opened in 2000 because it does not have a road connecting it to the market.

As of February, An Giang still has about 15 markets and Soc Trang Province has10 markets which left vacant or operating ineffectively, the provinces’ departments of industry and trade said.

The markets are not located near waterways, where fruits, vegetables and other products are transported. Other markets have been abandoned because they are far from residential areas and roads.

In addition, most newly built markets have high rental fees, local residents and traders said.

Tien Giang Province’s national fruit trading centre, which covers a total area of 120,000 sq.m in Cai Be District and costs about VND100 billion (US$4.7 million), also has only a few traders because of its inconvenient location.

Private markets

In contrast to State-owned markets, privately owned ones in the Delta are operating successfully.

A private fruit market was set up eight years ago by Nguyen Van Vy near Tien Giang Province’s national fruit trading centre.

The 1-ha fruit market in My Duc Tay Commune has about 100 traders selling produce every day.

Farmers in other neighbouring communes also transport their fruit to the market by bicycle, motorbike or boat.

“To operate successfully, the market needs to have a suitable location, especially a fruit market, as most farmers transport their goods by waterway,” Vy said.

Truong Thi Lien, who has sold fruit at the market for six years, said the market is clean and safe and is near convenient transport.

Vy said he planned to buy a piece of land nearby to build another market to sell other goods.

Similarly, Ho Van Dong in Vinh Long Province’s Mang Thit District built a 1-ha market in his sugarcane garden in 2002.

With a rental fee of VND5,000-10,000 a day for one trader or a monthly rental fee of VND120,000, Dong’s market has attracted about 100 traders.

Dong said the idea of building the market came to him when several industrial parks were built in his area and traders did not have a proper place for selling their goods.

He said he tried to build a clean, attractive market that could help traders do business in a hygienic, permanent space. This also discouraged the opening of temporary market stands. — VNS