High pork prices, small traders face difficulties

The high price of pork has led to a decrease in purchasing power, causing difficulties for small traders at traditional markets in Ho Chi Minh City.

Pork prices increase, traders complain of unsold meat

Carrying a plastic basket to Ba Chieu market (Binh Thanh district), Ms. Nguyen Thi Mai lamented that the recent sharp increase in pork prices has forced her family to recalculate their spending. Previously, pork was always the main food in daily meals, but with the current price, she has switched to other foods to save money.

“Pork is an essential food, but the price has increased so much that my family has had to switch to buying eggs, chicken, fish, etc. to ensure meals without affecting the family's overall spending,” Ms. Mai shared.

The high price of pork has reduced the purchasing power of this item.

In the same situation, Ms. Le Thu Hang (Go Vap District) said: “Every week I usually buy about 3-4 kg of pork to cook for the whole family. But since Tet until now, the price of meat has continuously increased, some types have increased by up to 50,000 VND/kg, so I have had to reduce the amount I buy and replace it with fish or chicken. Even my children's favorite dishes have had to change because the prices are too expensive.”

Surveys at traditional markets such as Ba Chieu Market (Binh Thanh), Dau Mot Market in Hoc Mon (Hoc Mon District) show that pork prices are quite high. Specifically, pork belly ranges from 150,000 - 180,000 VND/kg, baby back ribs cost from 170,000 - 190,000 VND/kg, thigh and shoulder meat cost from 130,000 - 160,000 VND/kg, while beef costs from 250,000 - 270,000 VND/kg.

Although the Lunar New Year has passed and people's demand for food has decreased due to fewer festivals and parties, pork prices continue to increase. This has caused many small traders to fall into a state of slow business and poor consumption of goods.

Ms. Tran Thi Thu, a trader at Ba Chieu market, lamented: “Every year after Tet, prices increase but only for a short time and then decrease. This year is different, prices remain high, and there are fewer buyers. Previously, regular customers bought 1-2 kg of meat at a time, but now they only buy a few ounces or switch to other foods. I import goods but sometimes at the end of the day there is still a lot left, so I have to reduce the price to clear the stock.”

At Hoc Mon wholesale market, which supplies a large amount of pork to Ho Chi Minh City, many traders have limited their imports. Mr. Le Van Dung, a trader at the market, said: "We are forced to import goods in moderation because of weak purchasing power. If before I took 300-400 kg of meat every morning, now I only dare to take about 200 kg but there are still days when I cannot sell all. If this situation continues, consumption will certainly continue to decrease."

Pork prices are expected to cool down from April.

At the press conference on March 7, 2025, Mr. Nguyen Nguyen Phuong - Deputy Director of the Department of Industry and Trade of Ho Chi Minh City said that the increase in live pig prices is consistent with the actual situation.

According to Mr. Phuong, the prolonged epidemic in the past has significantly reduced the total pig herd, affecting the supply. In addition, the high costs of raising, feeding, and transporting have also pushed the cost of products to higher levels. Currently, only large-scale farms with industrial production models can maintain operations, while small-scale farms face many difficulties.

However, Mr. Phuong believes that the current price will help stimulate farmers to restore their herds. When the supply stabilizes again, pork prices will tend to gradually decrease.

Pork prices are expected to "cool down" from early April.

Faced with the sharp increase in pork prices, the Department of Industry and Trade and the Department of Finance of Ho Chi Minh City are implementing measures to stabilize the market. One of the proposed solutions is to increase the supply of alternative foods such as chicken, duck, fish, and eggs to give people more options. In addition, traders and businesses participating in the price stabilization program will also receive support to ensure reasonable prices.

On March 3, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Finance adjusted the prices of some pork products in the price stabilization program. Accordingly, pork chops had the strongest increase, from 147,000 VND/kg to 160,000 VND/kg, shoulder meat increased by 12,000 VND/kg to 156,000 VND/kg, while lean shoulder meat and thigh meat were also adjusted from 166,000 VND/kg to 177,000 VND/kg.

Although pork prices remain high, according to authorities, Ho Chi Minh City does not lack supply, so people can shop with peace of mind.

Explaining the limited supply of pork after Tet, a representative of CP Vietnam Livestock Joint Stock Company (Dong Nai) said: “Currently, the number of pigs released to the market by the company remains stable, averaging about 16,000 pigs/day, mainly from farms in Binh Duong, Vung Tau, Binh Phuoc, Tay Ninh... However, output has decreased somewhat because many farms sold pigs earlier, making the pigs smaller than before.

The supply of live pigs in the market is still scarce, partly due to the epidemic affecting the total herd. Partly because small-scale livestock households in residential areas in some provinces have reduced their herds or stopped raising them due to environmental hygiene, causing the supply from small-scale livestock areas to decrease significantly."

According to the Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine (Ministry of Agriculture and Environment), as of the end of February 2025, the total pig herd nationwide reached more than 30 million heads, an increase of 3.7% over the same period last year. However, the current shortage of supply is mainly due to the sharp increase in consumption demand during the Lunar New Year, leading to high pork prices.

Mr. Duong Tat Thang, Director of the Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine, commented that the increase in pork prices in the context of the complicated development of the epidemic has forced consumers to change their shopping habits. However, Mr. Thang predicted that this price increase will not last long, as businesses and livestock farmers are stepping up herd restoration. According to him, from the end of March to the beginning of April, when the supply is abundant again, pork prices will gradually "cool down".

According to customs data, in the first month of 2025, Vietnam imported pork from 13 markets, of which Russia was the largest supplier, accounting for nearly 45% of total imports. The average price of frozen pork imported to Vietnam reached 2,672 USD/ton, up 20.8% over the same period last year.

Frozen pork is the fastest growing import item in the meat and meat products group. By the end of January, Vietnam had imported 74,450 tons of meat and meat products, with a total value of 156.68 million USD, up 8.2% in volume and 13.4% in value compared to the previous month. Imported products mainly included frozen poultry meat and by-products, fresh frozen buffalo meat, and frozen by-products from pigs, buffaloes, and cows.

Source: https://congthuong.vn/tp-ho-chi-minh-gia-heo-tang-cao-tieu-thuong-gap-kho-377490.html