Shocked by vegetable prices
On the afternoon of November 16, after work, Ms. Nguyen Thi Tuong - a worker at a garment company - went to Ngoc Thuy market (Bo De ward, Hanoi) to buy food to cook for lunch.
After buying the meat, Ms. Tuong went to the vegetable and fruit stall. Knowing that vegetables are expensive, she bought them from street vendors, who grow vegetables at home, each with a few items, to avoid wholesale in stalls.
"I was stunned because a handful of mustard greens cost 10,000 VND, if I had enough to cook soup for 4 people, I would definitely have to buy at least 30,000 VND for vegetables; water spinach for 25,000 VND/bunch but with many roots and old leaves, if I had picked them up, I would still be craving a meal...", Ms. Tuong said in a satisfied tone.
To save money, Ms. Tuong decided to buy a piece of 3-latter green squash for 10,000 VND: "I will boil the meat and use boiled water to cook squash soup".
Mr. Nguyen Duc Minh was also excited when he went to the market to buy vegetables. Mr. Minh and his 2 friends rented a room near Gia Lam market (Bo De ward, Hanoi). A group of workers cooked dinner and lunch together at the company.
After going around the market, Mr. Minh decided to buy fish, the tail to cook soup, and the middle of the warehouse. Selling vegetables, Mr. Minh picked up a few perilla trees, 3 tomatoes, a little cumin, onions... and then "reversed" when the seller quoted 50,000 VND.
"Eating vegetables is more expensive than eating meat this season. With our food comprehension, if we eat both stir-fried and vegetables at the same meal, it will cost 100,000 VND/meal, Mr. Minh grumbled.
According to Mr. Minh, when he bought vegetables, if he had 1,000 - 2,000 VND left, he would be sold for more lemon or some chili. Now, buying a small amount of chili also costs 5,000 VND, and herbs of all kinds cost 10,000 VND/bunch.
According to a survey by reporters, at many traditional markets in Hanoi, vegetable prices are at a record high: Tomatoes are about 55,000 VND/kg, potatoes are 30,000 VND/kg, sweet cabbage is 40,000 VND/kg, squash is 35,000 VND/kg, vegetables need to be 17,000 VND/bunch... This price is one and a half times higher, even double the normal price.
How to deal with it
The price of vegetables is expensive, and meals cannot lack vegetables, many workers and laborers think of ways to cope.
For the past 2 weeks, Ms. Ban Thi Thanh (from Thanh Loi commune, Ninh Binh) has been sent vegetables from her hometown to Hanoi by her family.
"The price of vegetables is expensive, it is convenient to have regular family vehicles from the countryside to Hanoi, so my mother sends potatoes, pumpkin, squash, mustard greens, onions, chili, shiitake... I wrap the newspaper, put the plastic bags in and store them in the refrigerator to eat gradually. If I buy vegetables to eat comfortably, every day my friend and I rent a room and spend about 70,000 VND on vegetables, Thanh shared.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu Ha, a worker currently renting a house in Phuong Liet ward (Hanoi) as a bean sprout to save costs when vegetables are expensive.
"For each bean sprout I buy for 5,000 VND, I earn about 7 bean sprouts. The price is cool, easy to eat, and I can make many dishes such as boiling, stir-frying, soup, spring rolls... so I am not afraid of being unsold. I even worked a lot to share with many friends in the same boarding house, Ms. Ha said.
According to Ms. Ha, her boarding house has 12 rooms, so anyone who has the opportunity to return to their hometown has brought a lot of vegetables, tubers, and fruits to divide into rooms.
