A bunch of water spinach 25,000: Expensive price, going to the market becomes an obsession

Having been married for nearly 15 years now, which is the same amount of time she has taken on the role of “key boxer” for market spending, never before has Ms. Le Thanh Thuy in Phuong Mai (Dong Da, Hanoi) felt struggling like these days.

She and her husband have a stable job, but their income is only average. In the past few years, your two children have gone to middle school, so they have consumed a good amount of money. All living expenses must be adjusted accordingly, especially the money to go to the market.

She is the type of person who is simple in cooking, doesn’t make too complicated dishes but still has a headache. Because, her family has 6 mouths to eat, all of them are adults.

She said, going to the market is now an obsession. She feels like “losing money” when the price of goods increases massively. On the morning of March 17, she went to the market to buy 20,000 normal tofu and still got 5 big covers, now there are 4 covers. The shop owner explained “gas prices risethe cost of transportation increased, soybeans also increased, so the price of beans also increased.

Going to the market is now an obsession of many people when the prices of items increase sharply (photo: BH)

When it comes to vegetables, any kind is expensive. A bunch of tiny chrysanthemum vegetables before only 3,000 VND, sometimes 5,000 VND / 2 bunches, now 10,000 VND / bunch. Water spinach has skyrocketed to 25,000 VND, spinach is 15,000 VND / bunch or 2kg cabbage is also 55,000 VND.

“In the second half of February, the expensive price of green vegetables is also due to the cold weather. Now the sun is getting warmer, vegetables are plentiful, but the price is even more expensive”, Ms. Thuy lamented. A meal of vegetables alone costs 20,000-30,000 VND, an increase of 2-3 times compared to the end of last year.

However, not only green vegetables, but also fish, meat and eggs prices are also adjusted up by 5,000-10,000 VND depending on the type. Worth mentioning, the price of live pork for slaughter is decreasing, but the price of pork in the market is still racing to increase according to the price of gasoline. For example, pork belly, ribs price increased to 130,000 VND/kg. Spring rolls also increased from 180,000 VND/kg to 200,000 VND/kg.

“In the past, the money to buy food, excluding rice, fish sauce, and salt, was about 8 million VND per month on average. Now everything has increased in price, I calculated with this amount, if I still keep the same habit of going to the market as before, it will only be enough for 3 weeks”, Ms. Thuy shared.

Not including the fixed monthly gas, gas, rice and seasoning expenses, only the money for vegetables, meat, fish, eggs, … every day of the daily market of Ms. Mai Thuy Giang’s family in Kim Nguu (Hai Ba) Trung, Hanoi) also costs about 20,000-30,000 VND more. If all living expenses are taken into account when the “price storm” hits, a month will increase to 2-2.5 million dong for a family of 4 like hers.

“With the limited income of the couple when they are both state officials, I have to calculate each item very carefully every month. However, with this price increase, the battle will be broken, it is impossible to calculate”, she worried.

Report of PV. VietNamNet at some traditional markets in Hoang Mai, Thanh Xuan, Hai Ba Trung, etc., prices of items ranging from fresh food to dry food were all adjusted up sharply when gasoline prices rose to historic peaks.

For example, the price of pork belly, boneless pork leg, crispy shoulder, tenderloin ribs increased to 130,000-140,000 VND/kg; pork butt and shoulder cost 95,000-100,000 VND/kg, hock 80,000-85,000 VND/kg; beef ranges from 270,000-350,000 VND/kg…

Many staple food and food items increased sharply according to gas prices (photo: BH)

Meanwhile, CP pork at some stores was adjusted to VND 173,000/kg with pork belly, young ribs VND 206,000/kg, lean shoulder 170,000 VND/kg, lean loin 143,000 VND/kg, thigh meat 120,000 VND/kg.

Notably, these days, the price of green vegetables skyrocketed. Specifically, water spinach increased to 15,000-25,000 VND/bundle, chrysanthemum and amaranth were both 10,000 VND/bundle, collard greens 15,500 VND/bundle, spinach 10,000-14,000 VND/bundle, and broccoli also 10,000 VND/bundle. ..

According to a report by the General Statistics Office, the consumer price index (CPI) in February 2022 increased by 1.42%. The main reason is the increase in petrol and oil prices in line with world fuel prices, plus food, food, and beverage prices that increase during Tet.

Ms. La Thi Thuy Linh, a seller of Northwest specialties in Hai Ba Trung, admitted that all the items she is selling, from dry goods to fresh food, have to increase prices. The reason, as soon as the price of gasoline increased sharply on the afternoon of March 11, the wholesalers immediately announced the increase in freight rates.

In the past, one carton of Styrofoam goods transported from Dien Bien to Hanoi cost only 70,000-130,000 VND, now it has increased to 100,000-150,000 VND depending on the weight. Not to mention, the prices of all kinds of goods at the wholesale end also increased by several thousand dong per kilogram.

As for some fruits transported from the West to Hanoi, by car (not refrigerated trucks or refrigerated containers) the fee was only 2,500 VND/kg, now increased to 3,500 VND/kg.

“Everybody likes to sell at a low price, because customers will buy a lot. Now the price has increased rapidly, if I don’t adjust the selling price, I will lose,” Linh said. She is concerned that prices have skyrocketed, incomes have not increased, and people have tightened their spending, resulting in much more sluggish goods.

Some large supermarket chains said they received many offers to increase prices from suppliers when gasoline prices increased. Accordingly, with fresh food items, dry food, suppliers suggest an average price increase of 5-10%. Frozen items are also proposed to increase prices. However, the supermarket side is trying to negotiate the best price for consumers.

Chau Giang