The Green Grocer’s Dilemma: When Vegetables Cost More and Seafood Runs Dry

On September 16, at a retail market on An Duong Vuong Street (Binh Tan District), Ms. Huong, a vegetable and fruit stall owner, said that most green vegetables such as lettuce, squash, cucumbers, and tomatoes had increased in price by VND 5,000-10,000/kg depending on the type.

For example, Da Lat lettuce is priced at VND 55,000/kg (an increase of VND 10,000); cucumbers are VND 30,000/kg (up by VND 5,000), and chili peppers are VND 60,000/kg (a rise of VND 10,000)…

“Since vegetables and tubers are perishable items, we buy and sell them daily instead of storing them. So, when the prices go up, we have to sell them at a higher price. To retain customers, I proactively offer extra spring onions or chili peppers. Currently, there is no disruption in the supply of these items,” shared Ms. Huong.

At Phu Lam Market (District 6), Ms. Thuy, a dry food trader, shared that prices of noodles, vermicelli, rice noodles, and pho remain stable. “Except for fresh rice noodles that we buy and sell daily, other dry foods are stored in advance. City consumers do not stock up on dry foods, even though it is the rainy season. Therefore, the supply is abundant, and prices are stable,” said Ms. Thuy.

Meanwhile, the prices of fresh seafood items have remained stable, but some types of larger fish, such as red tilapia and snakehead murrel, weighing 1.5 kg and above, are unavailable. Smaller fish like mackerel and basa are priced at VND 55,000-80,000/kg.

“The supply of fish in the market has decreased due to the loss of many fish cages and ponds in the North due to floods. The fish I’m selling now mostly comes from the Mekong Delta,” shared Mr. Hai, a seafood trader at Pham Van Hai Market in Tan Binh District.

For other perishable items like pork, beef, chicken, and duck, prices have remained stable compared to regular days. According to traders, the supply of perishable goods is relatively stable, so there has been no sudden price increase.

Regarding supermarkets, a representative of Saigon Co.op shared that they would maintain stable prices for essential items in their system. For the Northern market, Saigon Co.op continues to coordinate with suppliers to share costs and offer the lowest prices for vegetables, fruits, purified water, and dry foods…

A representative of Thu Duc Agricultural Wholesale Market shared that the continuous rainy weather had reduced the yield of most vegetables and tubers but had not significantly affected prices and supply. However, some items are experiencing rapid price increases, such as lettuce, chili peppers, and squash…

Following the directions of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, to prevent price gouging due to the impact of storms and floods, local authorities must closely monitor prices in their respective areas. In Ho Chi Minh City, enterprises participating in the price stabilization program and the satellite supermarket system in the directly affected provinces and cities have proactively increased their inventory by 2-3 times and are ready to supplement supplies to ensure a balanced supply and demand in all situations.