On August 21, live hog prices in southern provinces and cities continued to stabilize, maintaining 56,000-58,000 VND/kg. At Binh Dien and Hoc Mon wholesale markets, pork trotters had an average price of 68,000-70,000 VND/kg. After slicing, the price of pork thigh and pork belly was about 85,000-95,000 VND/kg, shoulder meat was 80,000-90,000 VND/kg, pork belly was 110,000-130,000 VND/kg, and pork ribs were up to 160,000-170,000 VND/kg.
According to small traders, selling prices are affected by pork prices, transportation costs, losses and purchasing power. Ms. Nguyen Hoai Thu - a small trader selling pork in the Hoa Binh market area, said that import prices have increased but not significantly, so she still maintains selling prices to maintain customers.
Import prices of pork have increased but not too strongly. Current purchasing power is also weak, so increasing selling prices is impossible" - Ms. Thu said.
On the buyer's side, Ms. Le Tuyet Mai - living in Vuon Lai ward, said that some stalls have adjusted prices but the increase is not too high from 2,000-3,000 VND/kg.
Every time I go to the market, I also buy less than before, so the cost has not increased much. My family mainly buys just enough to eat and limits high-priced meat" - Ms. Mai said.
Meanwhile, at retail systems, pork prices are generally still stable, and some items are also promoted and discounted.
According to Mr. Nguyen Tri Cong - Chairman of Dong Nai Livestock Association, slow purchasing power in the past time is one of the reasons for the decrease in pork prices. In addition, negative information about unsafe pork and pork contaminated with banned substances recently discovered also partly affects consumer psychology, reducing consumption.
Mr. Cong said that the current supply basically meets demand. However, if low prices persist, farmers may reduce their herds, posing a risk of supply shortage. From September to the end of the year, consumption demand usually increases again, so pig prices are forecast to be able to recover.
Recently, the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee has consolidated the Steering Committee for building the Pork Exchange. This Committee has the task of researching mechanisms, organizing transactions and evaluating the operational capacity of the model in practice.
According to the orientation, the pork exchange is not just a new trading channel but aims to build a modern, transparent market, applying technology and having the ability to connect with the export market. The pilot model is expected to take advantage of the existing technology infrastructure, legal basis and trading system of the Vietnam Goods Exchange, instead of building a completely new system.
The introduction of essential goods such as pork into an organized trading mechanism is expected to contribute to making the supply chain more transparent, from goods sources, transactions to distribution, thereby supporting the market to operate more efficiently.
