HCM CITY — Demand for fruit and flowers usually increases sharply on the occasion of the lunar year’s first full moon, and a short supply this year has caused their prices to spiral upwards.

Tết Nguyên Tiêu (New Year Full Moon Festival) is a major festival, and on this day many people prepare offerings, especially fruits and flowers, to the Buddha and ancestors.

At some traditional markets such as Thị Nghè and Bà Chiểu in Bình Thạnh District and Bến Thành and Tân Định in District 1, fruit prices shot up on February 17 and 18 to VNĐ70,000-80,000 for a kilogramme of green skin pomelo, VNĐ60,000-70,000 for dragon fruit and VNĐ130,000-140,000 for mangosteen.

Flower prices too rose steeply to VNĐ40,000 for a bunch of lisianthus, VNĐ60,000-70,000 for marigold and VNĐ80,000 for gladiolus, while daisy and gerbera were priced at many times their normal rates.

Trần Kim Mai, a fruit trader at Thị Nghè Market, told Việt Nam News that since Tết fruit prices have remained high due to high demand and low supply.

But many people do not pay much attention to the prices because they want to prepare the offerings properly to show respect to their ancestors and pray to God, she said.

According to the management board of the Đầm Sen Flower Market in District 11, some 30 tonnes of flowers came on February 17, significantly lower than normal.

As a result, prices have doubled or tripled from normal days, it added. 

Tuổi trẻ (Youth) newspaper quoted Lý Phú Quí, a member of the market management board, as saying that a large volume of flowers had been harvested earlier for the Lunar New Year and demand has increased sharply in the central region this year, and flower growers in Lâm Đồng Province are unable to meet the demand.

Flower prices in Đà Lạt City, one of the country’s largest flower growing areas, has gone up significantly, with some varieties priced higher than even during Tết.

Vegetarian food

In addition to flowers and fruits, demand for vegetarian food also increases during the festival since many people turn vegetarian.

To meet the increasing demand, local businesses have improved the quality and design of their products and come up with new ones.

There is a wide range of vegetarian foods at various prices available at supermarkets, traditional markets and shops. — VNS