HCM City authorities and businesses have stocked enough safe food products for Tet (the Lunar New Year) to be sold at controlled prices.

HCM City authorities and businesses ensure enough essential goods at stable prices.
— VNS Photo Van Chau

Nguyen Huynh Trang, deputy director of the city Department of Industry and Trade, said demand for food and foodstuffs before and during Tet this year is expected to be worth VND20 trillion, including VND8 trillion worth of essential goods, 10 per cent higher than last year.

The volume of goods stockpiled is 14-15 per cent higher than last year to ensure they are available after Tet too, he said.

Vissan, the country’s leading food company, will supply 7,500 tonnes of goods, 17 per cent more than last year, including nine new items made exclusively for the holidays such as herbal pork, stewed bone broth, Da Nang beef rolls, Super 5 sausage, and pork skin with garlic and chilli.

Due to the impact of African swine fever, pork supply has been hit heavily, but the company has said it would ensure adequate supply.

Saigon Co.op, which provides essential goods under 10 categories for the city’s price stabilisation programme, has organised funding for its suppliers. 

Under the market stabilisation programme run just before and during Tet, essential foods account for 30-40 per cent of demand, compared to 25-30 per cent during normal times.

Pham Thanh Hung, director of Ba Huan Joint Stock Company, said the company is preparing to secure sufficient supply for the festival.

It has opened an 18ha farm with a capacity of one million chickens and a 34ha farm with a capacity of five million chickens. 

According to the department, to ensure goods reach consumers at the best prices, enterprises will set up 350 sales points in remote areas, industrial parks, export processing zones, workers’ residential areas, and companies having a large number of workers.

“City enterprises have promised to discount essential goods’ prices by 5-10 per cent two days before Tet (January 23 and 24),” Trang said.

The department will also closely monitor changes in supply and demand, and enforce regulations related price registration, declaration and management.

It will also combat smuggling, trade fraud, counterfeit and fake goods, and poor quality goods.