HCM CITY — Most HCM City businesses have prepared more than enough goods at stable prices for the Tết (Lunar New Year) holiday, which falls on February 5.

Nguyễn Ngọc An, general director of Vissan Joint Stock Company, the country’s leading food producer, said the company began its plans for the year’s biggest holiday a few months ago.

The company would supply 3,200 tonnes of fresh meat and 2,800 tonnes of processed foods, 15-20 per cent higher than for last Tết.

It also planned to launch many new products this year, he said.

The Saigon Food Joint Stock Company has prepared more than 1,500 tonnes of products to serve customers on the country’s biggest holiday.

As usual, the company will also launch new products such as fresh porridge, nutritious fresh soup, hotpot sets and others.

Many poultry meat and egg suppliers, including Ba Huân and Vĩnh Thành Đạt, as well as confectionery producers also plan to increase supply.

Ba Huân JSC, for instance, will increase supply by 20 per cent for the holiday season.

The company has increased productivity of its chicken farms for eggs and meat in Bình Dương and Long An provinces, and has sped up production of traditional sausage and other processed products to meet high demand during Tết.

Similarly, most confectionery producers plan to increase supply and offer products at a wide price range to meet varying tastes and budgets.

Bibica Corporation, one of the leading confectionery businesses in Việt Nam, will supply 3,000 tonnes of confectionery, up 20 per cent from the last Lunar New Year holiday.

Bibica is also set to launch many kinds of Tết gift boxes with unique and elegant designs.

The company said: “Confectionery prices will fluctuate this year, but more than 95 per cent of our confectionery lines will remain unchanged, and prices will go up by 3-5 per cent on the remaining products.”

Supermarkets, malls and convenience stores have also made plans for Tết, with many increasing supply two or three times over normal.

At a recent dialogue with the city Government, Nguyễn Ngọc Diện, Saigon Co.op’s senior manager of food segments, said the supermarket chain had prepared for goods worth a total of VNĐ3 trillion (US$128.7 million) for Tết.

In addition to keeping price of products such as rice, sugar, cooking oil, pork, and poultry eggs and meat under the city’s price stabilisation programme unchanged, Saigon Co.op will offer sharp discounts on about 1,000 other products, she said.

According to the city’s Department of Industry and Trade, the total value of goods that companies in HCM City will stock during the two months before and after Tết will be VNĐ18.4 trillion, around 3.5 per cent higher than last year.-VNS