People shop for vegetables and fruit at Han Market in Da Nang. Vegetable prices soared after storm Nari hit the central city. — VNS Photo Doan Tung

DA NANG (Biz Hub)— Vegetable prices soared after storm Nari hit central provinces and cities, although other essential food prices remained stable, according to market watch teams.

In Da Nang markets, vegetable prices doubled or even tripled. In Han and Hoa Khanh markets, for example, prices surged VND3,000-5,000 to VND10,000-12,000 (US$0.5-0.6) for a bundle of water spinach, VND10,000 for a bundle of ceylon spinach, VND15,000 ($0.7) for a kilo of eggplant, VND25,000 ($1.2) per kilo of welsh onion and VND15,000 per kilo of cabbage on Wednesday.

Vegetable supplies declined after the storm because regions growing vegetables were flooded and transporting vegetables to the inner city was difficult, said Nguyen Thi Hoa, a trader in Hoa Khanh Market.

Vo Thanh Tung, head of the Hoa An Market management board, recommended traders in the Hoa An Market not to sell vegetables for a significantly higher cost despite the shortage. Meanwhile, he said, the price of other foods was stable at VND250,000 ($11.9) per kilo of beef, VND90,000 ($4.3) per kilo of pork and VND25,000-40,000 ($1.2-1.9) per kilo of fish.

The Da Nang Industry and Trade Department said prices of building materials such as steel and cement were unchanged.

The department said vegetable prices would continue to increase in coming days, but market watch teams would carry out inspections of trading activities in markets.

The price of rice and dried food such as instant noodles would remain stable because eight companies had huge stockpiles of these products, including Da Nang Food Joint Stock Co, Vissan Da Nang Co, An Hai Dong Cooperative and Da Nang Me Coc Ltd Co. — VNS