Surveying some people's markets in Hanoi such as: Trung Kinh, Nam Trung Yen, Nghia Tan... green vegetables continue to remain high compared to the end of August.
Taking advantage of the dry day, Ms. Vu Thi Phan (Nghia Do ward, Hanoi) goes to the market to buy daily food.
It's been raining for a long time, so the price of vegetables is quite expensive, the price of a bunch of vegetables is almost equal to a tael of meat. Vegetables are expensive, so I buy as much as I eat, not buying for storage because it's difficult to preserve. Today I only bought about 3-4 round eggplants and a few betel leaves, but I also had to pay about 23,000 VND, normally this place is only about 18,000 VND".
Not only consumers, but also small traders at traditional markets also have to endure the scene of "expensive imports". Ms. Cu Thi Hoan - a vegetable and fruit seller at Nghia Tan market - said: "After a series of storms, vegetable prices increased. Sweet mustard greens 28,000 VND/kg, mustard greens 30,000 VND/kg, water spinach from 10,000-12,000 VND/bunch, each type increased by about a few thousand VND".
Besides rising vegetable prices, items and types are not as diverse and abundant as before. "I have to go from 1 am to 1:30 am to buy goods" - Ms. Hoan said.
Ms. Hoan added that vegetables are affected by rain and flooding, when vegetables are still young, they will be waterlogged and bruised. For tubers and fruits, when wet, they cannot be stored for long, only buy them to eat immediately or store them in the refrigerator for 1-2 days. Leafy vegetables should only be eaten during the day, stored in the refrigerator until the next day will be damaged.
Speaking about the recovery time, Ms. Hoan estimates that about more than 1 month, farming households will replant when the water recedes.
After 1-2 sunny days, when the water recedes completely, people will dig up the soil to replant. To bring vegetable prices back to normal, as before, it will take less than 2 months" - Ms. Hoan said.
Similarly, Ms. Dao Thi Yen - a vegetable trader at Nghia Tan market - informed: "Vegetables are more expensive than usual. In fact, it is normal for vegetables to be flooded and increase in price. Rain flooding, limited amount of vegetables. This rain, flooding everything around Hanoi, so the source of green vegetables is even more affected.
Currently, Ms. Yen imports green onions at a price of 40,000-45,000 VND/kg, retailing in Hanoi is about 5,000 VND/tael. The previous batch was only about 30,000-35,000 VND/kg.
And Ms. Pham Thi Hang - a small trader selling pork at Nghia Tan market - said: "There is no fluctuation, prices are still the same. Ribs, shoulder meat, buttocks... are still stable. Ribs range from 150,000-160,000 VND/kg, depending on whether to remove the head of the head or keep it original. Shoulder and buttock meat are still priced at 150,000 VND/kg, unchanged. This price level has been maintained for several months now".
After the storm, the supply of green vegetables at Hanoi's people's markets has not returned to being as abundant as before, causing some items to remain at a high level. However, according to small traders, vegetable prices are expected to gradually cool down when the weather stabilizes, households restore production and supply returns to normal.
