Nghe An: Green vegetables are in short supply, prices are increasing 'dizzily'

Vegetables in traditional markets have increased 3-4 times, even spices have increased 6-7 times. Photo: Thanh Phuc

After choosing 2 radishes, 1 carrot, 1 bunch of chrysanthemum greens and a bunch of coriander, Ms. Nguyen Phuoc Lanh (Hung Dung ward, Vinh City) was shocked when the seller said the amount to pay was 50,000 VND. “At first, I thought I heard wrong, so when I asked the seller to recalculate, I was shocked. A bunch of chrysanthemum greens, which was usually less than 2,000 VND, now increased to 12,000 VND; a bunch of coriander costs 9,000 VND; radishes and carrots increased by 10,000 VND/kg. In other words, a family of 4, if they eat enough vegetables in 1 day, will have to spend hundreds of thousands of VND, 5-6 times more than before.”

Standing hesitantly in front of a vegetable and fruit stall at Vinh wholesale market, Ms. Nguyen Thi Loan, owner of a hot pot restaurant on Hong Bang street, did not know what to choose.

Many consumers were shocked when vegetable prices suddenly increased. Photo: Thanh Phuc

“Vegetables are more expensive than meat. The base price of a hot pot is 200,000-300,000 VND, and vegetables take up half of it. Hot pot customers always order extra vegetables. If you calculate enough to cover the labor cost, customers will say it’s expensive. But with vegetable prices skyrocketing like this, the restaurant is in a difficult situation,” Ms. Loan complained.

The increase in vegetable prices has also made it difficult for many people in charge of collective kitchens to make ends meet. “Previously, 30 workers spent only 200,000 VND on vegetables each day, but now for the same number of meals, the cost of vegetables has increased to 400,000 VND, but it is still not as comfortable as before,” said Mr. Tat Thang, the owner of a kitchen at a company in Nam Giang (Nam Dan).

Vegetable prices increase, not only buyers but also sellers find it difficult to turn around. Photo: Thanh Phuc

On the morning of December 7, a survey at some traditional markets in Vinh city showed that the prices of green vegetables, especially leafy vegetables and spices, increased rapidly. Not only did off-season vegetables such as water spinach, white squash, chayote... increase, but the prices of main-season vegetables also "jumped" dramatically. Accordingly, kohlrabi cost 35,000 VND/kg; green and white broccoli: 15,000-25,000 VND/plant depending on size; carrots, potatoes, mustard greens: 35,000 VND/kg; tomatoes, cucumbers, okra: 40,000 VND/kg; chrysanthemum greens 10-12,000 VND/bunch; mustard greens: 40,000 VND/kg; squash shoots 50,000 VND/kg...

In particular, the prices of herbs have increased dramatically, 5-6 times higher than before: Coriander costs 8,000-10,000 VND/bunch; perilla 15,000 VND/bunch; green onions 80,000 VND/kg, Vietnamese coriander 7,000 VND/bunch; dill 15,000 VND/bunch, basil, Vietnamese balm 5,000-7,000 VND/bunch...

In supermarkets, the amount of imported leafy vegetables is also limited, on the shelves are mainly fruits and vegetables. Compared to before, the price has also increased by 30-50%. Photo: Thanh Phuc

Explaining the skyrocketing price of green vegetables in recent days, Ms. Nguyen Thi Ly, owner of an agent specializing in supplying vegetables to traders in traditional markets, said: "Currently, vegetable farms in the province as well as outside the province are in short supply. The reason is that this year's weather is not favorable for winter-spring vegetables, many types of vegetables cannot grow in "off-season" weather conditions. In addition, the province has just had heavy rain, causing hundreds of hectares of winter vegetables to be flooded, so they have to be replanted and have not been harvested yet."

The sudden increase in vegetable prices has caused vegetable sellers to stock up sparingly, and the variety of vegetables is not diverse; many stalls have even temporarily closed. In many vegetable growing areas, even though it is not yet harvest time, some types of vegetables are still being sold early by people to take advantage of the high prices.

People rush to harvest vegetables when prices are high. Photo: Thanh Phuc

"Actually, this crop of kohlrabi and radishes will not be ready for harvest in 12-15 days. But now the price of vegetables is high, 25,000-30,000 VND/kg, so I decided to harvest them early to get a good price. If I wait a few more weeks, the price will definitely not be half of the current price and it will be harder to sell," said Mr. Nguyen Gia Dinh, a vegetable grower in Dien Xuan (Dien Chau).

According to statistics from the Department of Cultivation and Plant Protection, the area of ​​winter vegetable cultivation in the province is estimated at 12,000 hectares, with an output of 175,000 tons. If the weather is favorable, the vegetable harvest season is currently in full swing, and with the estimated vegetable output, there will be enough to meet the needs of the people and a surplus to export to other provinces.

People grow seeds and then plant them to shorten the growing time and soon have vegetables to supply the market. Photo: Thanh Phuc

However, this year, unseasonal rains caused flooding; vegetables were replanted and then encountered severe cold, so the vegetable plants grew poorly, grew slowly, and the area for harvest was not large. Meanwhile, green vegetables in other provinces are also in short supply, leading to skyrocketing vegetable prices in the markets. In the next few weeks, when the winter vegetable area is ready for harvest, vegetable prices will gradually "cool down".