VietNamNet Bridge – With purchases falling significantly at HCM City's traditional markets after the Tet (Lunar New Year) festival, the prices of many essential foods, including fruits, vegetables, chicken and pork have also dropped correspondingly compared to the pre-Tet highs.

Shoppers at a Co.op Mart Supermarket. Sales at supermarkets remain high in constrast with traditional markets. (Photo: VNS)

Similarly, at the Ba Chieu and Thi Nghe markets in Binh Thanh District, prices of vegetables and fruits reduced by VND2,000-5,000 a kilo to VND7,000-8,000 for a kilo of cabbage and VND8,000-10,000 a kilo of bitter-gourd.

Vo Thanh Duong, deputy head of the Phuoc An Co-operative, said most canteens at industrial parks and schools were yet to resume operations, so demand for vegetables, meat and other foodstuff was low, bringing down their prices.

Cucumber, for instance, was now selling about VND5,000 a kilo compared to the pre-Tet price of VND12,000.

The price of industrially raised chicken, meanwhile, was VND21,500 a kilo, a reduction of nearly VND10,000 a kilo compared to pre-Tet prices.

Prices of other essential items, including rice and sugar, also reduced by VND1,000-2000 a kilo to around VND19,000-20,000 for a kilo of fragrant rice and VND10,000-11,000 for a kilo of normal rice; while sugar fell to VND21,000-22,000 at traditional markets.

Meanwhile, prices of vegetables, fruits, meat and other food items have remained stable at wholesale markets in HCM City, with supplies almost returning to normal.

The Hoc Mon and Thu Duc wholesale markets have been receiving about 725 and 1,000 tonnes of fruits and vegetables a day respectively.

At Binh Dien and Hoc Mon wholesale markets, the volume of pork received has dropped to about 53 tonnes a day, but prices have remained stable because of low demand.

In contrast to the traditional markets, sales at supermarkets after Tet have remained high thanks to promotion programmes designed to stimulate consumption after the festival.

The French supermarket Big C began offering promotions on more than 1,100 product categories from February 6, with prices for electronic, frozen food, children's toys, meat, seafood and vegetables down by between 5 and 40 per cent.

Locally-owned supermarket chain Co.op Mart is also offering discounts on several products.

At Vinatex Mart outlets in the city, apart from 20-50 per cent discounts on some garment items, and five to 20 per cent discounts on processed food, customers will also receive "lucky money envelopes" until February 12.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News