In early September, many housewives in the western areas of Hai Phong City could not help but be surprised when the price of green vegetables at traditional markets increased simultaneously. Recorded at markets such as Beijing, Phu Luong, Kho Do, Tan Kim... most vegetables have increased, even double, tripling compared to mid-August.
At Phu Luong market (Hai Duong ward), water spinach - a very popular vegetable in daily meals is currently sold for 13,000 - 15,000 VND/bunch, while previously it was only about 6,000 - 7,000 VND. Coriander, Malabar spinach... also recorded an increase of 30 - 70%, depending on the type. Some herbs such as onions, coriander, perilla, and goldsmith also increased slightly, an average of 2,000 - 3,000 VND per small bunch.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Mai Anh (Le Thanh Nghi ward) shared: "Previously, with 50,000 VND, I could buy a full vegetable basket, enough to eat for the whole family for a few days. Now, 50,000 can only buy a few small pieces of vegetables. Vegetables are so expensive that I have to switch to buying squash, squash or su su to eat temporarily for cheap. Many days when I go to the market, I get bored with vegetables and find them as expensive as meat.
Not only Ms. Mai Anh, many other housewives also have to recalculate their daily menu to balance spending in the context of rising prices. Some people choose to reduce the amount of vegetables they buy, instead using fruit roots, or take advantage of vegetables in the garden if any.
According to traders at Phu Luong market and Tan Kim market, the main reason for the increase in vegetable prices is the impact of prolonged storms in recent times. The heavy rain at the end of August caused many vegetable growing areas to be flooded, vegetables to be damaged in large numbers, and output to decrease sharply.
Mr. Le Van An, a vegetable seller at Phu Luong market, said: "Before, I took 4 - 5 slices of vegetables from regular customers every morning, now I only get 1 - 2 slices, but the vegetables are not beautiful and have many wary leaves. There are few goods, high transportation costs due to flooded roads, and rising prices are inevitable.
While waiting for favorable weather to return and vegetable supply to be more stable, many people can only temporarily change to eat cheap food, prioritize foods that are easy to preserve and buy in groups to reduce costs.
However, with the characteristics of being an essential food group for each meal, consumers still expect that in the coming time, vegetable prices will cool down, helping to balance spending, especially when the new school year has just begun, with many more worries. While waiting for a positive signal from the market, smart and flexible consumption is temporarily a "savior" for many small families in the midst of a food "pricing storm".
