Thống Nhất Rubber Company Limited in HCM City’s Củ Chi District. — Photo congly.vn

HCM CITY — Many businesses in HCM City and elsewhere in the South resumed operations on Thursday after the week-long Tết (Lunar New Year) holidays.

The previous day, workers arrived at many factories to check the equipment and machinery to ensure a smooth resumption.

Nguyễn Đức Hồng, deputy director of the Thống Nhất Rubber Company Limited in HCM City’s Củ Chi District, said 980 workers came back to work after the holidays and all production lines resumed operations.

Last year, the company lacked export orders at certain times, and so it has stepped up promotions in many new markets to reach more new customers since September, he said.

Huỳnh Văn Thòn, chairman of the Lộc Trời Group JSC, told Sài Gòn Giải Phóng (Liberated Sài Gòn) newspaper the company has a contract to supply 65,000 tonnes of rice to Indonesia, and so reopened right after Tết.

Some 3,600 employees would turn up at its factories on the opening day, he said.

“On the morning of February 15, one pesticide, fertiliser and packaging plant and 10 rice mills with a capacity of two million tonnes per year each will be ready to start production.”

Vũ Thái Sơn, chairman of the Long Sơn JSC, one of the country’s largest cashew processors and exporters, said many members of the Vietnam Cashew Association, including his company, has fully resumed unlike in previous years when the resumption was staggered.

Most businesses had a difficult 2023, but the cashew industry is confident this year with the market showing good signs, he said.

There is increasing demand for cashew in Europe, Japan, the US, and the Middle East, and orders have increased significantly, and many cashew processing plants have had to operate at full capacity to meet delivery deadlines, he added.

According to the HCM City Union of Business Associations, the Food and Foodstuff Association of HCM City and other industry associations, most workers returned to work on the first day after Tết.

Supermarkets, traditional markets reopen

Customers wait for a calligrapher to give them calligraphic works at a Co.opmart supermarket in HCM City when the supermarket reopens after Tết. — Photo courtesy of Saigon Co.op

Many supermarkets in the city such as Co.opmart, Co.opXtra, Go!, Big C, and Satra reopened on February 11 but for fewer hours than normal, and resumed normal operations on the 15th.

They have also launched many promotions to stimulate demand.

Saigon Co.op has the “Hái lộc vàng phú quý cả năm” programme between February 15 and 28, with over 10,000 lucky envelopes, reward points and big discounts on over 1,000 items.

Co.opmart, Co.opXtra, Co.op Food have increased their stocks of vegetarian products by 30 per cent from normal to meet the growing demand for healthy foods.

Customers shop at GO!, Big C supermarket. Supermarkets in HCM City resumed normal operations after Tết on February 15. — Photo courtesy of Central Retail

GO!, Big C is also offering big discounts on fresh meats, fish, fruits, vegetables, fast moving consumer goods and household utensils.

Traditional markets too have been gradually reopening since February 11, especially those selling fresh foods, flowers, fruits, and vegetables.

Nguyễn Bình Phương, deputy director of the Thủ Đức Agriculture Wholesale Market JSC, said the volume of vegetables and fruits arriving at the market increased from 743 tonnes on February 11 to 832 tonnes on February 14, or 50 per cent of the normal supply, and prices are steady. — VNS