Over recent days, both vendors and homemakers in Hanoi have been abuzz over the soaring prices of green vegetables, scallions, and tomatoes - some claiming they now rival the cost of meat and fish.

A visit to Cong Vi Market shows many leafy greens still holding at high prices: cabbage at 1.20–1.60 USD/kg, malabar spinach at around 0.80–1.00 USD per bunch, and scallions at approximately 2.00–2.20 USD/kg.

Vendors in Hanoi say prices are high but not as extreme as online claims suggest.

However, Dinh Thi Thanh Nga, a vendor at Cong Vi Market, shared that while prices have increased, “they’re still lower than after storms and floods in the past.” A bunch of water spinach has gone up by 0.20–0.40 USD, now selling at 0.80–1.00 USD. Malabar spinach increased from 0.60 USD to 0.70 USD, and katuk is between 0.90–1.00 USD per bunch.

What troubles Nga is the claim that scallions now cost 2.60 USD/kg. “Online, people say it’s 2.60 USD and blame rising pho prices on that. But scallions are actually around 2.00 USD/kg - not extreme. Some just use the price hike as an excuse to raise prices on other goods,” she said.

At Nam Trung Yen Market, many customers agree that vegetables have become noticeably more expensive. Vendor Tran Anh noted that no Vietnamese family meal is complete without vegetables. Cabbage, once 0.80–1.00 USD/kg, now reaches 1.40 USD/kg. Kohlrabi, cauliflower, and chrysanthemum greens have all gone up by about 0.40 USD per bunch. Malabar spinach is selling for 1.00 USD per bunch.

Tran Anh added that a meal for a family of four used to cost around 4.00–6.00 USD, but now just meat and vegetables alone come close to 8.00 USD. “With vegetable prices rising like this, working-class families in Hanoi really have to tighten their daily spending,” she shared.

Vendor Do Thi Hoan at Nam Trung Yen explained she’s had to raise prices because wholesale rates have risen too. Like many others, she’s trying to strike a balance between affordability and sustainability.

At My Dinh Market in Tu Liem Ward, prices have also surged. Vendor Vu Bich Thuy reported that pennywort is now 2.80 USD/kg; mustard greens are 1.00–1.20 USD/kg; tomatoes, scallions, and houttuynia have each gone up by 0.20–0.40 USD/kg. “We want to keep prices stable to maintain sales, but supply shortages and high input costs force us to adjust,” she said.

Despite the increase, many low-cost eateries in Hanoi have decided not to raise dish prices.

Nguyen Thi Lieu, who runs a casual rice shop on Duong Khue Street, said that business has become tougher lately due to the spike in vegetable prices. Where she used to buy mustard greens at 0.30–0.50 USD/kg wholesale, she now pays around 0.80 USD/kg. If buying retail, she sometimes pays up to 1.20 USD/kg.

Nevertheless, Lieu has kept her rice dishes priced at 1.20–1.60 USD per serving. “I don’t dare raise prices. I’m afraid of losing customers. For now, I’ll accept a smaller profit to stay afloat,” she said.

Phuc Tai