Đà Lạt vegetable prices shoot up, HCM City suffers collateral damage

LÂM ĐỒNG — The prices of vegetables and fruits in Đà Lạt and neighbouring areas in Lâm Đồng Province are on the rise.

Vegetable grown at a farm in Đà Lạt City in Lâm Đồng Province. — Photo courtesy of List

According to Đà Lạt residents, vegetable prices have risen threefold in the last two months.

Due to unfavourable weather conditions, farmers in Đà Lạt and elsewhere in Lâm Đồng have had poor outdoor vegetable crops, and so have been reluctant to plant for the new crop.

Nguyễn Định, a farmer in Ward 8 in Đà Lạt who uses high technology, said during the social distancing period traders did not buy vegetables, and farmers had to use them as fertilisers for other crops.

Nguyễn Đức Cứ, head of the Đà Lạt City People’s Committee’s economic division, said farmers have recently started growing vegetables again, and could meet some 80 per cent of the city’s demand.

It would take time for them to supply southern provinces again, he said.

“The insufficient supply is the main reason behind the increase in prices of agricultural produce.”

The supply of vegetables to HCM City by Đà Lạt City-based Thảo Nguyên Agricultural Food Co. has gone down by a third.

Nguyễn Lam Sơn, CEO of the company, said it used to deliver 10-12 tonnes of farm produce a day to supermarkets and other retailers in HCM City, but it has now come down to seven or eight tonnes.

He said the prices of farm produce are much higher in traditional markets than supermarkets, adding that, for instance, cabbage costs VNĐ13,000 – VNĐ14,000 at the latter but up to VNĐ17,000 at the former.                        

Most Đà Lạt farm produce is delivered to the Thủ Đức Wholesale Market in HCM City. A market spokesman said the price of tomato has doubled to VNĐ20,000 per kilogramme while cabbage prices went up from VNĐ11,000 on June 24 to VNĐ18,000 on July 22.

A spokesman from the Hóc Môn Wholesale Market said the supply of vegetables and fruits from Lâm Đồng Province has increased recently, pushing prices down slightly.