Small traders "earn small profits
According to reporters' records at some traditional markets such as Van Quan (Ha Dong ward), Hop Nhat, Hoa Bang (Yen Hoa ward, Hanoi), green vegetables are no longer as diverse as before. Most types of vegetables have doubled or tripled in price compared to half a month ago.
Ms. Lo Thi Tuoi (Chuong My ward, Hanoi) - a small trader at Hop Nhat temporary market - said that the prices of green vegetables have doubled, especially herbs, cilantro, and dill: "If previously selling a bunch of sweet potato leaves was only about 8,000 VND/bunch, now the price has risen to 15,000 VND/bunch, water spinach has increased from 7,000 VND to 12,000 VND/bunch, scallions from 30,000 VND/kg to 70,000 VND/kg".
According to Ms. Tuoi, affected by storm No. 4, right at the planting house and many places were flooded, almost all old vegetable crops were damaged. Up to now, many places have just started planting again, from 1-2 weeks until the supply stabilizes again, vegetable prices may decrease.
As a small bread stall on Yen Hoa street, Ms. Bui Thi Thom - owner of a meat bread business - said: "Before, I only bought about 15,000 VND for some kinds of vegetables such as lettuce and cilantro, but now a small bowl of vegetables to sandwich with bread is priced at 30,000 VND. cilantro is the highest increase, normally it must fill a bag, but now it is only half.
According to Ms. Thom, vegetable prices are high, but as a seller, they cannot cut back: "Buyers who are used to eating, lacking a spice or cucumber, sour food, they will reflect back and can go to another store or shop.
Similarly, just a stall selling tofu and sour food in the market, but Ms. Nguyen Thi Thuy - a small trader at Hop Nhat temporary market - said that vegetable prices have increased nearly 3 times but selling to buyers only increased 2 times: "In addition to tofu, I only sell more eggplant and pickled mustard greens. In the past, buying 10 kg of mustard greens was less than 100,000 VND, now importing them to pick mustard greens, the price is 250,000 VND/yen".
After the watermelon has reached sufficient sourness, Ms. Thuy only sells at a price 2 times higher than usual: "Previously, salted mustard greens could be sold for 5,000 VND, but now it must be at least 10,000 VND, maybe it will be profitable.
Cost balancing problem
Going to the market these days, Ms. Nguyen Mong Quyen (Yen Hoa ward, Hanoi) complained: "The price of vegetables this time has increased 2 times, cucumbers are 25,000 VND/kg, the more beautiful type is 30,000 VND/kg. A bunch of sweet potato vegetables is twice as expensive, but the amount of vegetables is still the same, even the leaves are small and not as beautiful as before".
Ms. Quyen said that although vegetable prices are expensive, every meal still needs to provide enough nutrients: "If in the previous period, on Sundays I often bought many types of vegetables to eat for 2-3 days a week, now I eat as much as I buy. As a housewife in the house, I also have to balance spending to suit each meal.
Fresh vegetable groups increase in price
Data from the consumer price index (CPI) of the Statistics Department (Ministry of Finance) shows that the price index of the food group in August 2026 decreased by 0.05% compared to the previous month. However, prices mainly decreased in some items such as:
Pork prices in August 2026 decreased by 0.7% due to slow purchasing power in the market, in which consumer demand tends to decrease in the Vu Lan month (July lunar calendar), combined with the fact that school semi-boarding kitchens have not resumed operations before the new school year.
Poultry meat prices decreased by 0.31% due to high market supply while consumer purchasing power is slow. In which, chicken prices decreased by 0.26%; other poultry meat decreased by 0.51%.
Fresh seafood prices in August 2026 decreased by 0.15% due to the relative abundance of seafood supply in the market while consumer demand decreased. In which, the price of fresh or frozen shrimp decreased by 0.45%; fresh or frozen fish decreased by 0.04%.
In addition to discounted items, some food items in the month have increased in price compared to the previous month: Fresh and processed fruit prices; Egg prices of all kinds increased by 2.09%. Prices of fresh, dried and processed vegetables increased by 0.1% compared to the previous month.
However, due to the impact of storm No. 4 in the second half of August, the supply of leafy vegetables has not recovered, causing green vegetable prices to increase many times over.
