Hanoi to have enough pork during Tet: officials

Hanoi will not have to face a shortage of pork during the traditional Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday. (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – Hanoi will not have to face a shortage of pork during the traditional Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday, an official of the capital city’s Industry and Trade Department has said.

A nationwide shortage has held for about 10 months due to the impact of African swine fever.

Tran Thi Phuong Lan, the department’s deputy director, said Hanoians’ demand for pork will be met because suppliers from neighbouring provinces and cities have committed to providing the city with an estimated volume of 43,000 tonnes of pork during the holiday.

The capital city’s demand for pork is predicted at about 22,300 tonnes during the holiday.

The price of pork at traditional markets ranges from 130,000 - 180,000 VND (5.6 - 7.74 USD) per kilo, about 40 - 50,000 VND higher during the same period last year.

Meanwhile, in many supermarkets, the price of pork has been cooling down. At Co.op mart supermarket chain in Hanoi, the pork price of CP Joint Stock Company decreased by 5,000-10,000 VND per kilo compared with a week ago.

According to pork sellers, although the price of pork has decreased slightly, consumption has not increased.

A report of Hanoi Customs Department shows the capital city imported nearly 100,000 kilos of pork in December last year.

“We have not yet considered the possibility of importing pork because the domestic supply will meet the city’s demand during the holiday,” Lan said.

The city’s businesses have reserved goods, including pork, to stabilise the market, avoiding importing products before  Tet at expensive prices. Notably, businesses who take part in the city’s market stabilisation programme have committed to keeping pork prices 5 percent lower than the market price./.