Northwest specialties cause fever, from cheap to expensive

Recently, social media has been flooded with short mukbang videos (an online culinary trend) about the Northwest specialty of sweet bamboo shoots. Through these videos, Tiktokers from North to South have endlessly praised the crispness and sweetness of bamboo shoots when dipped in the “divine” cham cheo seasoning.

With views reaching hundreds of thousands, even millions per video, bamboo shoots quickly became a hit on social networks, attracting the attention of many people and making them buy them out of curiosity, wanting to try this Northwestern specialty once.

On the “online market”, sweet bamboo shoots are sold everywhere. The price of bamboo shoots depends on the type, ranging from 60,000-120,000 VND/kg. According to traders, usually small bamboo shoots (i.e. young ones) will be more expensive than large bamboo shoots.

At this price, most of the outlets also include cham cheo dipping sauce. This is the spice that creates the special flavor of this Northwest specialty.

Chayote price is only 300-500 VND/kg

Chayote prices have dropped sharply. According to Thanh Nien Newspaper, chayote prices are now only 300-500 VND/kg but are still very difficult to sell. The output for OCOP-standard agricultural products is still unstable, making growers in Nghe An unhappy.

Ms. Huong's family grows more than 3,000 square meters of chayote. At the beginning of the season, the price of chayote fluctuated from 5,000 to 7,000 VND/kg, which helped her family earn income. However, since about a week before Tet until now, the price of chayote has dropped so low that it is very difficult to sell, causing nearly 2 tons of fruit to be picked and left under the tree.

Sharing the same fate as chayote, after Tet, the price of carrots also hit rock bottom. Large carrots cost only 200-300 VND/kg, making growers discouraged.

Many types of vegetables have fallen dramatically in price, down to only 1,000 VND/kg.

Since the Lunar New Year, the price of green vegetables has plummeted. According to Tuoi Tre Newspaper, many farmers in Pleiku City (Gia Lai) said that the price of spinach, lettuce, water spinach, coriander, green onions... is only 1,000 VND/kg but it is still very difficult to sell, traders are complaining.

Ms. Le Thi Le in village 7, An Phu commune, Pleiku city, said she was frustrated and said she was trying because she felt sorry for the effort and the fertilizer and seeds she had planted. With the current prices, if she did not change, by harvest time, the money from selling vegetables would not be enough to cover the cost of care.

Pig price increases continuously, exceeding 80,000 VND/kg

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The price of live pigs for slaughter has increased sharply. Photo: VP

The price of live pigs continues to increase. Sharing with PV. VietNamNet on February 24, Mr. Nguyen Kim Doan - Vice President of Dong Nai Livestock Association - said: "Traders are looking to buy live pigs weighing over 100kg throughout Dong Nai at a price of 81,000-82,000 VND/kg". This is the highest price after the price of this item reached a historical peak of 100,000 VND/kg in May 2020.

With this price, livestock "tycoons" hit the jackpot, reporting huge profits of nearly a thousand billion VND.

At traditional markets in Hanoi, pork prices have also been adjusted up by 10,000-15,000 VND/kg depending on the type.

Specifically, the price of pork belly ranges from 145,000-150,000 VND/kg; pork ribs from 140,000-190,000 VND/kg; shoulder, ham, rump meat 145,000 VND/kg; lean pork is commonly sold at 190,000-250,000 VND/kg...

Cheap strawberries flood the market

Strawberries are flooding the market. Health and Life reports that Son La strawberries are in season, so they are flooding the market, from traditional markets to online markets, at relatively cheap prices, ranging from 60,000-200,000 VND/kg (depending on the type).

However, on the market there are also a series of strawberry products originating from China with prices half as cheap as Son La strawberries, only about 50,000 VND/kg.

Ms. NTH (Nam Tu Liem, Hanoi), a strawberry trader for many years, shared that although the domestic strawberry supply is abundant, many people, for profit, still import poor quality strawberries, then label them as "Son La strawberries, Moc Chau strawberries, Da Lat strawberries..." to sell to consumers.

Vietnam's rice export prices increase again

Vietnam's 5% broken rice was quoted at $393 a tonne this week, up slightly from last week's price, ending an 11-week decline, the Vietnam Food Association said.

A trader in An Giang province said demand is increasing again as processors and exporters increase purchases from farmers. However, supply is also increasing as it is the winter-spring crop harvest season.