Consumers buy vegetarian products at a market in HCM City. — Photo nld.com.vn

HCM CITY — As Lunar New Year festival (Tết) approaches, many people in HCM City are preferring vegetarian foods thanks to their wide variety and affordable prices.

A vegetarian food festival held at Gia Định Park in Gò Vấp District last weekend attracted many young people. There were many restaurants and businesses promoting products such as vermicelli, phở, rice noodles, bánh mì, hot pots, instant straw mushroom, and others.

Hồ Hoàng Thám, director of Bà Xã Vegan Cuisine Company Limited, told Người Lao Động (The Labour) newspaper that while in the past only affluent middle-aged people were vegetarians, now younger people without much incomes are seeking vegetarian foods at reasonable prices.

Demand for vegetarian food used to soar during the full moon, certain lunar months and the first few days of every lunar month, but fell to a third at other times, he said.

Businesses had to strike a balance and so prices were high, but now demand is steady and so they manage to keep prices down.

Many food companies have reduced output for Tết this year due to a slump on demand, but demand for vegetarian foods is very high.

Cao Thị Cẩm Nhung, director of the Lemit Foods Joint Stock Company, told Người Lao Động that her staff are working overtime to meet the orders for Tết.

Phạm Duy Phương, head of business at the Sagri Food, said demand for the company’s products has increased and so it has raised supply by 30 per cent.

Trần Công Linh Phương, director of the Sai Gon Vegetarian Food Company Limited, told the newspaper that many customers have purchased products from his company to do charity works.

Demand for these products will increase further when people go to pagodas and pilgrimages in the new year.

Many vegetarian products like lotus rice and spring rolls are sold at supermarkets and convenience stores for around VNĐ20,000.

Hồ Thanh Nhiên, founder of the O Plant - Based Food Joint Stock Company, said consumption of plant-based products has skyrocketed for health and environmental reasons.

Nevertheless, the vegetarian food industry needs to keep prices reasonable to retain customers, he added. — VNS