Hanoi stocks up ahead of Tet holiday

Tran Thi Phuong Lan, Deputy Director of the Hanoi Department of Industry and Trade

How does Hanoi prepare to ensure sufficient goods supply ahead of Tet?

Goods totaling about VND31.2 trillion are being prepared to meet consumer demand ahead of Tet, 10 percent higher than the target. They include 191,400 tonnes of rice, 44,600 tonnes of pork, 14,800 tonnes of poultry meat, 12,306 tonnes of beef, 260 million eggs, 247,400 tonnes of vegetables and tubers, 12,800 tonnes of processed food, 11,364 tonnes of seafood, 3,500 tonnes of farm produce and forest products, 3,000 tonnes of confectionery, 200 million liters of alcohol, beer and soft drinks, 200,000 cubic meters of petroleum, garments, and electrical and electronics products.

The Hanoi Department of Industry and Trade has instructed businesses to distribute goods for Tet through 25 trade centers, 141 supermarkets, 454 markets and thousands of convenience stores and other shops throughout the city. We also told businesses to implement shipments of goods to suburban districts, industrial and export processing zones, and mountainous communes while promoting e-commerce and e-commerce-based multi-channel sales.

The African swine fever outbreak in early 2019 affected the supply of pork and pork-based products. The department told organizations and businesses to work with producers to ensure sufficient pork supply. With this good preparation, no goods shortages or major price increases are expected.

How does Hanoi work with other provinces and cities to ensure sufficient goods supply?

The Hanoi Department of Industry and Trade has been promoting supply-demand connection with provinces and cities nationwide to ensure sufficient supplies ahead of Tet. Specifically, in October, the department worked with the Bac Giang Province Department of Industry and Trade to hold a conference on promoting sales of hill-grazed chicken - a specialty of Bac Giang’s Yen The District. The African swine fever outbreak has caused insufficient pork supply, so there is a need for other products to make up for pork shortages. This is an opportunity for high quality products like Yen The chicken to reach buyers in Hanoi. In November, the department is holding supply-demand connection meetings between Hanoi and more than 50 provinces and cities, giving priority to promoting farm produce, processed foods and seafood.

Although they have increased sales thanks to such supply-demand connection programs, producers including farmers need to ensure product quality and price stability and improve product preservation and transport if they are to find more buyers and increase sales. Provinces and cities need to have companies in charge of distributing agricultural products, especially fresh food, to markets, supermarkets and stores in Hanoi.

Could you tell us about the 2020 Tet farm produce and food fair?

We recently sent official letters to district and town people's committees, telling them to organize and participate in the 2020 Tet farm produce and food fair that will take place from January 11-17, 2020 at the Thong Nhat Park in Hanoi’s Hai Ba Trung District. The fair is expected to have more than 250 pavilions introducing and selling farm produce (fruits, vegetables and tubers of all kinds, processed food, seafood, cattle and poultry meat, pork pies and sausages); cakes, jams, candies, beverages, garments, flowers, and ornamental plants, among others. The fair will give priority to introduction of products as substitutes for pork, including farm produce, processed food, cattle and poultry meat, and seafood; products of OCOP (one commune one product) programs; and products of farmers who are facing difficulties in finding buyers. Goods to be introduced and sold at the fair must meet quality, food safety and traceability regulations. Each district or town can register two standard pavilions for free and benefit from a 50 percent reduction in the registration fee for the subsequent booths.

What will the Hanoi Department of Industry and Trade do to protect consumers and businesses from smuggled, counterfeit and substandard goods?

One of our important tasks in this period is to closely monitor goods supply, demand and prices. The department will work with the city market management agency and relevant sectors in market management and hand out strict punishments to illegal goods transporters and smugglers, and implement regulations on price registration, listing and application.