HCM CITY — With around a month to go for the Mid-Autumn festival, moon cake producers have unveiled many traditional and new varieties.

Big names like ABC Bakery, Kinh Đô Mondelez, Đồng Khánh, Bibica, Thành Long, and Givral have started selling early this year.

The Asia Bakery and Confectionery Pte.Ent, known as ABC Bakery, has begun the season by exporting 60,000 cakes to the US for distribution through supermarkets.

At home it makes cakes for 22 five-star hotels and large bakeries with their names and logos, Kao Siêu Lực, the company’s general director, said.

It would supply at least 2.5 million cakes (500 tonnes) for the Mid-Autumn Festival, including new varieties made with fillings like imported Singaporean barbecued meats, lotus and chia seeds and dried apricots, lotus seeds and cranberries, and lava-custard, he said.

The company sold two million last year, he said.

Bibica Corporation will launch over 600 tonnes of cakes, an increase of 10 per cent from last year.

There would be 60 products in three lines -- luxury, nutrition and tradition – besides fruit moon cakes for online customers, it said.

Many amateurs too are offering handmade moon cakes on Facebook and other social media, with unique designs and materials.

Moon cakes imported from Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia are also available.

The prices of locally-made moon cakes this year range from VNĐ38,000 to VNĐ500,000 and VNĐ150,000-2 million for a box of four.

According to businesses, cake prices are up 3-7 per cent this year due to higher costs of labour and imported paper for packaging.

Nguyễn Thị Ngọc Thúy, owner of Thành Long Cake and Sweet Establishment, said the price of the packaging paper has increased by 30 per cent.

The appreciation of the dollar has pushed up the prices of imported inputs, she said.

Her establishment has managed to cut costs and also lowered profit margins to hike prices by only 5 per cent, she said.

Many of the confectionary firms expect demand for the cakes for gifting to relatives and business partners to increase this year, with supply 10-20 per cent higher than last year.

Lực said this year the number of five-star hotels and big restaurants buying from his company has been much higher.

With a few more weeks to go for the peak sales season, producers continue to study the market to launch more products. — VNS