Why have vegetable prices in Nghe An increased sharply?

At local markets, vegetable prices have risen sharply for over a month now, and the variety is also not as abundant as before. Photo: Thanh Phuc

From around mid-June until now,Vegetable prices have reached a new level.With fuel prices continuously rising, the price of green vegetables has increased by 20-30%. After four fuel price reductions, vegetable prices remain high, with some types increasing 2-3 times, such as scallions, water spinach, and chili peppers… Specifically, currently, fragrant gourds cost 20,000 VND/kg (an increase of 5,000 VND/kg compared to before); sweet cabbage and spicy cabbage cost 30,000 - 35,000 VND/kg (an increase of 5,000 - 7,000 VND/kg compared to before); water spinach costs 10,000-12,000 VND/bundle (an increase of 5,000 - 6,000 VND/bundle); scallions have increased to 45,000 - 50,000 VND/kg; and cauliflower costs 60,000 VND/kg. Green beans cost 40,000 VND/kg, and lettuce costs 50,000 VND/kg.

Vegetable prices are more stable, only increasing slightly, such as: carrots: 20,000 VND/kg; potatoes: 20,000 VND/kg; okra: 20,000 VND/kg… Water spinach is currently in harvest season, so the price is cheaper by 5-7,000 VND/bundle; green squash: 7,000 VND/kg.

Many types of vegetables have seen their prices double or triple. Specifically, various types of leafy greens are currently priced at 30,000-35,000 VND/kg; cauliflower costs 60,000 VND/kg. Photo: Thanh Phuc

At supermarkets,organic food storePrices for the following items have also increased significantly compared to before. Leafy vegetables, such as cabbage, spinach, and amaranth, have increased by about 30-40%; while root vegetables have increased by 15-20%. Most of the vegetables sold here are sourced from cooperatives producing clean, organic, and VietGAP-certified vegetables in Da Lat and Moc Chau. Ms. Nguyen Thi Ngoc, owner of a chain of clean food stores in Vinh City, said: “The import prices of vegetables have increased significantly this time, therefore, the selling prices have also been adjusted upwards.”

The sudden surge in vegetable prices is due to limited supply. Unfavorable weather conditions, including unseasonal rains in May that caused flooding, led to root rot and wilting of vegetables. This was followed by successive periods of intense heat and hot winds, hindering vegetable growth and forcing many vegetable-growing areas to switch to drought-resistant crops. Meanwhile, some seasonal root vegetables and fruits suffered crop failures.

The reason is that unfavorable weather conditions have led to a shortage of supply. Photo: Thanh Phuc

Mr. Nguyen Van Nam, an agricultural official in Nam Anh commune (Nam Dan district), said: "In previous years, this would be the time to harvest the Telosma cordata flower. This year, however, the crop has suffered a severe failure, so only a few areas are yielding a harvest. This time, only eggplant, sweet gourd, and bitter gourd are available, while leafy vegetables are very scarce. The hot weather and hot winds from Laos have prevented leafy vegetables from growing."

In the "vegetable hub" of Quynh LuuIn areas traditionally producing vegetables year-round, vegetables are scarce at this time due to the hot weather. Ms. Ho Thi Minh, a vegetable farmer in Quynh Minh (Quynh Luu), said: “My family has nearly one sao (approximately 1000 square meters) of land planted with various types of leafy vegetables. At the beginning of June, my family planted mustard greens, sweet cabbage, and bok choy, but due to the hot weather, the leaves withered, the vegetables grew poorly, requiring more care and watering, and the yield was only half of what it was before. Traders placed orders, but we didn't have any vegetables to sell.”

To supply vegetables to the market, frequent irrigation is necessary, consuming a significant amount of electricity. Furthermore, rising prices of fertilizers and vegetable seeds have impacted vegetable prices. (Photo: Thanh Phuc)

In addition, the prices of supplies, fertilizers, and vegetable seeds have all increased, and the need for continuous irrigation consumes a significant amount of electricity, forcing vegetable producers to raise prices to ensure profitability. Meanwhile, although gasoline prices have decreased, transportation costs have not been adjusted downwards, so vegetable prices remain high.

To meet the consumer demand, vegetable-growing areas in the province are actively planting and caring for the crops to ensure a sufficient supply for the market.

Currently, green squash is in season and quite inexpensive. Therefore, at this time, people can switch to using root vegetables and fruits to reduce expenses. Photo: Thanh Phuc

Therefore, theShortage of green vegetablesThis is only seasonal and localized. During this time, people can switch to using root vegetables and fruits that are in season and inexpensive to help manage their expenses.