Vegetable shortage raises prices in Hanoi

Bad weather conditions coupled with heavy infestation of pests in vegetables has caused prices to rise as well as create a supply deficit in markets in Hanoi, as per the Department of Industry and Trade.
The recent two very severe storms in the Northern Provinces caused heavy flooding in many parts, especially in the fertile Red River Delta, creating further difficulties in the cultivating of soil in preparation of summer-fall vegetable crops. Tons of vegetables also withered after the sudden intense heat that followed the heavy rains, particularly on vegetables planted without roof cover.

Even though the total vegetable growing areas is the same as last year, the supply has dwindled substantially, due to the above conditions.

The cost of seeds and saplings has increased, as have pesticides by 10-30 percent, together with wage hikes touching VND50, 000-80,000 (approx. US$2.4-3.9) per worker. Markets have hence advantageously hiked the prices of vegetables to prohibitive levels.

The average price of vegetables in the city during July shot up from 6-40 percent. For instance, lettuce was 25 percent costlier, malabar nightshade 14 percent, cabbage 17-22 percent, chou rave 17-40 percent, sauropus 17-20 percent, potato 7-13 percent, water cress 8 percent and tomato 14 percent.

The good news is that the present price increase will encourage more farmers in the north to concentrate in growing more green vegetables, which could improve future deficit.

Tags: Vegetable prices

Posted by VBN on Aug 6 2011. Filed under Agriculture. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry