Food supplies, stable prices ensured for Tet holiday

• COVID-19 fight: HCM City promises adequate food supply
• Hanoi to scale down Lunar New Year firework display due to COVID-19

A wide range of essential goods commonly consumed during the upcoming Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday have been adequately stockpiled and are now available for distribution at stabilized prices in Ho Chi Minh City.

The demand for essential goods is expected to increase by 10-20 percent during the Tet holiday, said Phan Thi Thang, deputy chairwoman of the municipal People’s Committee.

Businesses in the city have made huge efforts to increase production to meet rising demand during Tet, and have strictly followed preventive measures for COVID-19, Thang said.

Pork and other fresh meat, eggs, fruits and vegetables, and processed food have been stockpiled to ensure supply to the market during Tet, Thang said during a visit to two food manufacturing businesses in the city early this week.

Stocked goods have surpassed 30-40 percent over the targets set by local authorities, making it impossible for a shortage of goods and unexpected price hikes before and after Tet, she said.

Nguyen Ngoc An, general director of Vissan JSC, said the company had stocked 5,183 tones of processed foods and 2,290 tones of fresh pork and beef, up 5 percent and 10 percent from a year earlier, respectively, to meet the rising demand ahead of Tet holiday.

The total value of stocked goods has jumped by 11 percent from the same period last year to more than 900 billion VND (38.9 million USD).

Around 90 percent of the production plan for Tet stocks has been fulfilled, he said.

The company is now focusing on adequate goods for distribution at stable prices as well as compliance with food safety and hygiene standards.

Vissan has ensured food supply to the northern provinces of Bac Ninh and Hai Duong where thousands of people are under quarantine due to the COVID-19 outbreak, he said.

Nguyen Thi Thu Trinh, deputy general director of the Sai Gon Food JSC, said that around 2,700 tones of goods have been stockpiled to supply during Tet, an increase of 25 percent compared to the same period last year.

The company has committed to ensuring stable prices during Tet, Trinh said.