People buy and hoard
According to the latest information from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development on natural disaster prevention and control at 9:00 a.m. on September 11, 30,700 hectares of crops were flooded and damaged (concentrated in Hai Phong 2,614 hectares; Nam Dinh 509 hectares; Thai Binh 3,345 hectares; Hanoi 4,046 hectares; Hai Duong 3,000 hectares; Hoa Binh 6,728 hectares; Lang Son 1,393 hectares...).
In fact, due to the current storm and flood situation, the price of green vegetables at traditional markets in Hanoi has doubled compared to normal days, while at supermarkets it is stable.
People are rushing to buy food to stock up because they are worried about running out of stock. The foods that are selling well are mainly green vegetables, meat, bread, some types of dried food...
According to Lao Dong reporters at 11am on September 11, at a supermarket in Ton That Thuyet (Cau Giay, Hanoi), the number of people buying goods and food here was not too crowded. However, the vegetable stalls were almost empty, with only a few types of raw vegetables such as Vietnamese coriander and lettuce.
Besides, the items that people are interested in and buy more are dry foods such as bread. Other fresh foods such as beef, pork, chicken... are constantly added to the supermarket.
Talking to Lao Dong Newspaper, Ms. Nguyen Thi Mai (Cau Giay, Hanoi) said: "From morning until now, I have gone to the supermarket twice but have not been able to buy a bunch of vegetables to cook rice. I have been holding the basket for a long time but have not found anything, should I continue to go home empty-handed?"
At another supermarket on Me Tri Thuong Street (Nam Tu Liem), the most popular items chosen by people to buy are also vegetables and bread. The supermarket staff has to constantly replenish and distribute more food to the shelves.
Not only in supermarkets, but also in traditional markets, goods are in high demand due to the crowd mentality of people rushing to buy and stock up. Despite the heavy rain since morning, according to Ms. Nguyen Thi Thuong - a vendor at Me Tri Thuong market, her vegetables are still in high demand compared to normal days.
Another vegetable vendor at Me Tri Thuong market also said that he did not want to sell at a higher price than usual, but due to high import costs and supply disruptions due to flooding, he had to increase the prices of vegetables.
Food supplement for the North
Speaking with PV Lao Dong Newspaper, Mr. Nguyen Tien Dung - Deputy General Director of WinMart Chain - said that all 4 WinEco farms in the North including Ha Nam, Quang Ninh, Tam Dao and Hai Phong were completely destroyed, the fields were flooded, the garden houses collapsed, the roofs were peeled off and almost all the output was lost.
However, every day, nearly 100 tons of essential vegetables are transported from the South and Lam Dong to the North. This is WinEco's effort to ensure the supply of vegetables for people, while also compensating for the shortage caused by damage to Northern farms after Typhoon Yagi, especially popular vegetables such as Malabar spinach, Chinese cabbage, Chinese cabbage, squash, bitter melon, and many other items. In particular, WinEco agricultural products sold at supermarket chains, WinMart, WinMart+, WIN stores do not increase in price, helping to stabilize the market.
In addition, to ensure a stable supply of goods to the North until the end of the month, WinEco is stepping up production activities at farms in Lam Dong and the South to maintain stable output for the Northern market and stabilize prices for consumers after the impact of storm Yagi.
"Currently, the transportation of goods from Supra warehouses to WinMart supermarkets and WinMart+/WiN stores is facing difficulties due to flooding and landslides in the Northern provinces. However, we have promptly implemented solutions to ensure timely supply of goods to serve the people. Ensure that goods are always fully stocked at central warehouses and ready to distribute to supermarkets/stores. Select supermarkets and stores with large areas and easy delivery of goods to plan as pick-up points. The operating staff at these supermarkets/stores will receive the goods and bring them to supermarkets/stores that the delivery vehicles cannot reach.
Currently, WinMart/WinMart+/WiN in areas affected by storms and floods are also facing many difficulties in terms of damage to facilities and goods, but we are trying our best to maintain operations, stabilize prices for consumers and ensure social security," affirmed Mr. Nguyen Tien Dung.
According to MM Mega Market representative, solutions to increase vegetable sources from Lam Dong will likely ensure sufficient supply for the next 1-2 weeks. However, the transportation of goods to end consumers will be affected.
Meanwhile, representatives of many other retailers such as Saigon Co.op... informed that they continue to increase the supply of vegetables from Lam Dong to the North. Every day, there are additional trucks bringing vegetables to Hanoi and from there transporting them to supermarkets in the provinces.
