VietNamNet Bridge – Retail traders claim bad weather since September is to blame for the soaring cost of vegetables at markets across Ha Noi.

People buy vegetables at a retail market in Ha Noi. The recent rise in the price of vegetables is blamed on bad weather. (Photo: VNS)

And, while the price of pork has actually dropped by 18 per cent since the end of July, this has not been passed onto consumers.

According to a small survey by Viet Nam News reporters yesterday at Nghia Tan and Xanh markets in Cau Giay District and Tan Xuan Market in Tu Liem District, prices of most of goods started to rise early this month.

Vegetables, particularly cabbage, water spinach and tomatoes, are now selling at up to 50 per cent of the prices a month ago.

Ngo Van Xuan, a vegetable trader in Me Linh District, put much of the increase down to what he called "market psychology", a polite term for using a known event to do some profiteering.

He said he got much more money now, not so much because of the weather but because he followed the trend.

However, Xuan added that now it was time to harvest the rice, farmers were growing fewer vegetables. However he thought the situation would improve next month.

Nguyen Thi Hue, a vegetable seller in Hoai Duc District's Dong La Commune said heavy rain had destroyed many vegetable fields for more than a week.

"Some families lost more than 1,400sq.m of cabbage because of water logging. So, to make up for the losses, farmers have to raise prices," she said.

Nguyen Thi Huyen, a resident of Tu Liem District said she had to pay VND100,000 ($4.80) for vegetables and fruit for one meal for herself and her son, VND30,000 ($1.30) more than usual.

Regardless of the arguments, many shoppers are choosing to go to supermarkets, where goods are under the control of the Government's price stabilisation programme.

Vu Thi Hau, deputy director of Nhat Nam JSC, owner of Fivimart supermarket chain in Ha Noi, said that currently the price of vegetables had not changed.

She agreed that many small traders were hiking prices on their own initiative. She also added that although more and more customers were opting to use supermarkets to buy food, most Vietnamese preferred shopping at small markets, usually in the street. Hau said that most supermarkets did not stock up with sufficient supplies of vegetables to satisfy all shoppers.

Nguyen Thanh Son, deputy head of the Livestock Breeding Department of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development said that while the price of pork actually fell by 18 per cent in early September, the retail price in small markets was still high because of profiteering.

Son called for strong sanctions against the practice.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News