Weather heats up food prices

Vegetables, fruits and seafood products have increased in price. The price increases have been explained by the hot weather, which is said to raise demand.

According to Thoi bao Kinh te Saigon, the prices of vegetables have increased by 5-15 percent. For example, salad is selling at 15,000-20,000 dong per kilo, an increase of 2000-3000 dong per kilo, while potatoes are selling at 15,000 dong per kilo, an increase of 2000 dong per kilo.

Explaining the price increases, retailers said that it is because of the hot weather and the short supply which has made the wholesale prices increase. A small merchant who sells salad at Hoang Hoa Tham Market in Tan Binh district said that it is not easy to purchase quality vegetables, even paying high prices. “I have to scramble for tens of kilos of vegetables for re-selling,” she said.

Nguyen Thanh Ha, Deputy Director of Thu Duc Farm Produce Market, confirmed that the prices of vegetables and fruits at the market have increased in the last few days. She said that the retail prices have increased because producers have set higher sale prices. The hot weather has forced producers to spend more time and money to grow and preserve fresh vegetable and fruits. However, Ha disagreed with the notion that the supply has decreased, affirming that the volume of vegetable and fruits reemains unchanged at 2800-3000 tonnes per day.

The prices of seafood products have also increased. Codfish is selling at 125,000-150,000 dong per kilo, increasing by 10-15,000 dong, ca loc (a kind of fresh water fish) is selling at 55,000 dong per kilo instead of 45,000 dong, while field crab is selling at 70,000-80,000 dong per kilo.

“Everything is getting more expensive,” Pham Hoai Huong, who lives in District 9 of HCM City, complained. “Retailers all said that it is because of the short supply, but I do not think so”. According to Huong, people do not like eating pork any more because of “blue ear epidemic”. As more people purchase fish instead, retailers have pushed the fish prices up.

Poultry eggs have seen the prices increase by 1,000-2000 dong per ten eggs from the April’s price. Duck egg prices have increased from 24,000 dong to 25,600 dong per ten eggs, while chicken eggs from 17,000 dong to 18,600 dong

Explaining the price increases, Ba Huan, Director of Ba Huan Company said that it is because of the hot weather, ducks and hens to produce fewer eggs. But also due to the hot weather, the number of eggs lost in transport is higher, making the cost prices increase as well.

TBKTSG

Tags: Vietnam food prices