Nghe An: Construction sand prices increase sharply due to scarcity

A material gathering point in Dien Chau district where sand is scarce to serve customers. Photo: Hai An

Since the beginning of 2023, many construction projects in Nghe An province have started. However, people and contractors are surprised by the high price of construction sand, even a shortage of goods. Due to the lack of supply, many construction material gathering points do not have sand to meet customer demand.

Mr. Tran Long transports sand in Dien Thinh commune, districtDien ChauConstruction sand bought at mines in Anh Son and Do Luong districts during Tet is priced at 50,000 VND/m³, now increased price to 80,000 VND/m³Sand used for wall coverings is more expensive in Tan Ky and Nghia Dan districts, before Tet the price was 70,000 VND/m.³now increased to 100,000 VND/m³. At this time, sand is scarce. Previously, we transported 5-6 sand trips per day, but now we only transport 2 sand trips per day.

Sand docks in Do Luong district also do not have enough goods to supply trucks. Photo: Hai An

A survey at some construction material gathering points in Dien Chau and Quynh Luu districts showed that the amount of sand was quite small, not enough to supply customers. A construction material store owner in Dien Chau added: Construction sand prices increased after Tet. Currently, the price of sand at the store is around 180,000 VND/m³However, the difficulty is not in the price but in the shortage of imported sand.

Reasonsand is scarce, the price increase is because at this time the Con River and Lam River are dry, making sand mining more difficult. Not to mention, through inspections and checks of mineral mining units, especially sand, there are still some shortcomings and limitations. Therefore, some sand mines have to temporarily stop to carry out environmental renovation and restoration, install weighing stations...

In particular, in Thanh Chuong district, from December 16, 2022, the operation of 3 sand mines (with 17 sand wharfs) must be suspended for more than 5 months due to the exploitation of sand and gravel from riverbeds exceeding capacity. In addition, in Nghe An province, there are many key projects in great need of sand materials such as projectsNorth-South Expressway, coastal roads, upgrading National Highway 7. At the same time, this is also the peak construction season, the demand for sand is high so sand mines cannot supply enough for customers.