5:18:06 PM | 18/2/2008
Prices of almost all varieties of vegetables remain high in Hanoi city after the Lunar New Year festival.
The price of meat, fish and vegetables rose by between 40 per cent and 100 per cent in the city.
In Gia Lam, Kim Lien, Mo and Hom markets, the price of a kilo of shrimp doubled to between VND300,000-VND320,000, while the price of a kilo of fish rose by VND150,000-VND170,000 and a kilo of pork by VND100,000.
The price of fish and shellfish rose sharply due to soaring demand over Tet, while the high price of seasonal vegetables can be attributed to lack of availability over winter.
Prices have not dropped after Tet because the demand remains high, while the supply is limited as many food outlets remain closed, said retailers in Hanoi.
While many supermarkets in Hanoi, including Big C, Intimex and Fivimart have opened, managers say suppliers have yet to deliver goods.
Meanwhile in Ho Chi Minh City, the prices have gone down: a kilo of beef has gone from VND150,000 to VND 120,000, salad vegetables are down from VND80,000 to VND50,000 per kilo and a kilo of cauliflower has gone from VND25,000 to VND20,000.
However, aquatic products are still high, mainly for supply reasons, as fishermen remain on shore.
Thanh, the owner of a greengrocers, said that even though more and more shops are resuming normal business hours, prices of vegetables and fruit are going to decline slowly as demand remains high.
The same is true for fish prices. Phuong, the owner of a fish shop in Nguyen Van Trang Market in HCM City, said that because people wanted a change of diet after Tet, the price of fish products nearly doubled. Fresh fish currently costs VND40,000 per kilo, while shrimp costs around VND80,000 per kilo.
Traders in the markets said that the increase is expected to continue until next week.
The Ministry of Finance said on Monday that there were no food shortages over the Tet festival. Officials reported that retail sales reached VND75.9 billion during the month leading up to Tet, a 27 per cent increase over the same period last year.
They reported that the price of most goods rose over the holiday season. The price of rice and other staples rose by 3.35 per cent, while the price of foods such as fish and meat went up by 3.75 per cent. Drinks’ prices rose by between 15 per cent and 20 per cent, officials said. (Rauhoaqua, Saigon Liberation)
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