In Vietnam, vegetable prices surge to COVID-19 levels amid prolonged stormy weather

Vendors and consumers say they are recalculating daily expenses with fatigue, while farmers report that prolonged inundation has sharply reduced yields, tightening supply and pushing prices upward.

Ho Chi Minh City sees rocketing veggies prices

Surveys conducted on Tuesday at traditional markets such as Ba Chieu and Tan Dinh in Ho Chi Minh City showed that most vegetables increased by an additional VND1,000-2,000 (US$0.04-0.08) compared with the previous day.

Many varieties have doubled or tripled compared with two weeks earlier, before consecutive storms struck.

At Ba Chieu Market, vendor Tran Thi Thuy Thuy said herbs and garnishes were rising at the fastest pace.

Scallions reached VND90,000 ($3.6) a kilogram, up from VND30,000 ($1.2), while water spinach rose to VND70,000-90,000 ($2.8–3.6) per kilogram, levels she had never seen before.

She explained that spoilage has made trading riskier as vegetables rot quickly. Buying five bundles can mean losing two before they are sold.

Each morning, she opens her stall with anxiety, knowing that wholesale prices are high and the risk of waste is significant.

Another vendor, Y Nhi, confirmed that herbs have risen the fastest.

She explained that prolonged rain causes scallions and dill to rot easily, reducing supply and pushing prices up.

Complimentary herb bundles once given to loyal customers are now nearly impossible, as even small gestures feel costly.

At Tan Dinh Market, vegetable prices have surged across categories. Choy sum, bok choy, and mustard greens have jumped from VND15,000-20,000 ($0.6–0.8) to VND40,000 ($1.6) a kilogram.

Malabar spinach is priced at VND25,000 ($1), lettuce has climbed from VND15,000-20,000 to more than VND40,000, and bitter melon, formerly VND10,000-15,000 ($0.4-0.6), now sells for VND40,000-45,000 ($1.6–1.8) per kilogram.

Vendors say customers are wary and confused. They also spend much of the day explaining price movements, hoping to avoid misunderstanding or accusations of raising prices arbitrarily.

Major wholesale markets including Binh Dien, Hoc Mon, and Thu Duc confirm that incoming volumes, especially leafy vegetables, have dropped sharply

Prices for tomatoes and greens are up by 30-50 percent, with some items doubling or tripling due to shortages.

Farmers in tears despite higher prices

In Lam Dong Province, a major vegetable-producing region, farmers say the higher prices bring little comfort, as the severe drop in productivity leaves them with too little to sell.

Nguyen Hong Phong, director of Phong Thuy Agricultural Company, said prolonged rain has inundated many farms, damaging crops and making replanting difficult.

His company manages more than 140 hectares of contracted and self-produced land, but output has fallen sharply. Even releasing reserve stocks from cold storage barely makes a difference.

On normal days, the company purchases about 30 metric tons of vegetables daily. Now, only 20 metric tons are available, and many items fall short of supply commitments to Ho Chi Minh City and the southeast region.

Compared with previous years, prices have risen by 1.5 to 2 times. Yet because selling prices to supermarket and export partners are contractually fixed, the company often sees decreased profits or even losses.

Farmer Nguyen Van Thanh in Da Lat City said storms in the central and northern regions have depleted local supply, forcing the provincial government to support these markets, further straining its own capacity.

Farm-gate prices have become unusually high: tomatoes at VND35,000-40,000 ($1.4-1.6) per kilogram, napa cabbage at VND25,000 ($1), garland chrysanthemum at VND35,000 ($1.4), scallions at VND50,000($2), and most greens at VND20,000 ($0.8) or more.

Yet farmers remain worried because yields have collapsed. Leafy greens that typically produce 4–4.5 metric tons per hectare have dropped to only 2 metric tons due to flooding.

He noted that greenhouse farming could stabilize yields, but only about 20 percent of Lam Dong’s production uses greenhouses. The rest relies on outdoor farming or mesh-covered plots, which are highly vulnerable to weather extremes.

According to Bui Trung Kien, director of Xuan Thai Thinh Company, yields in some high-tech farming areas have fallen by as much as 80 percent because low temperatures and constant flooding have made cultivation extremely difficult.

A gloomy Tet ahead for pig farmers

Livestock farmers in the southern region face similar struggles. Farm-gate hog prices have improved slightly but remain low at VND46,000-49,000 ($1.84-1.96), while sows sell for VND30,000-34,000 ($1.2-1.36) per kilogram.

These figures are VND5,000 ($0.2) lower than in October and VND20,000-25,000 ($0.8–1) below mid-2025 peaks.

Nguyen Kim Doan, vice-chairman of the Dong Nai Livestock Association, said production costs range from VND55,000 ($2.2) to VND65,000 ($2.6) a kilogram, meaning farmers incur heavy losses.

Slow consumption, steady pork imports, and emergency sell-offs from flood-hit central provinces have expanded supply in the south, keeping prices suppressed.

Doan warned that disease outbreaks and recent storms could lead to shortages in the coming months, potentially pushing prices higher.

Even so, pork supply for the Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday is not expected to fall drastically because companies have increased imports.

Hog prices may rise toward the end of the year but are likely to stabilize around VND60,000 ($2.4) per kilogram.

Veggies shortage concerns

As vegetable supplies for Tet may become strained, director Kien of Xuan Thai Thinh Company said expanding greenhouse cultivation, securing seed stocks, and preparing soil in advance are essential, allowing farmers to plant immediately once weather conditions improve.

However, even short-cycle vegetables require at least one month from sowing to harvest, meaning shortages will persist through December and may continue into January 2026.

If weather remains unfavorable and production plans are unstable, vegetable supplies during the Lunar New Year holiday could be insufficient, leading to continued high prices.

Each meal becomes a new budgeting challenge

Across Ho Chi Minh City, households are already adjusting their daily meals.

In Nhieu Loc Ward, resident Vu Huong said she had never seen water spinach priced so high. A VND10,000 ($0.4) portion once sufficed for a meal, but now “barely counts as anything.”

She has begun asking relatives in the countryside to send vegetables to reduce expenses.

Over the weekend, Le Thi Chi bought vegetables for a vegetarian hotpot with friends but was startled by how little she received.

The vendor explained that portions had been reduced because wholesale prices had climbed so sharply.

At market stalls, customers frequently fill baskets only to place several items back.

At Ba Chieu Market, vendor Nguyen Thi Thu Thuy said customers no longer shop generously and instead buy only what is strictly necessary for each meal.

She admitted that selling a VND5,000 ($0.2) bundle of scallions results in a loss, yet refusing customers is equally difficult.

Restaurants throughout Ho Chi Minh City report similar challenges, as soaring purchase prices and inconsistent supply force them to adjust menu prices and portion sizes to maintain profitability.