Pork prices fell sharply at wholesale markets, retail markets dropped in a trickle

The price of live hog and wholesale pork (thin pork) has continuously decreased sharply for a week now, but the retail price in some retail markets is still high, where it decreases, where it does not.
Mr. Le Van Tien, Deputy Director of the Management and Trading Company of Hoc Mon Agricultural Products Wholesale Market (Hoc Mon Market), said that about a week ago, the price of live pigs has decreased by about 8,000 – 9,000 VND/kg: Grade 1 live pigs from 78,500 VND/kg to 70,500 VND/kg, grade 2 live pigs from 75,500 VND/kg to 66,500 VND/kg.

Following the above decrease, the price of thin pork (wholesale pig/jaw) of grades 1 and 2 also dropped sharply by about 12,000-15,000 VND/kg, to 85,000 VND/kg grade 1 and 78,000 VND/kg grade 2, respectively. However, the price of mixed pork belly has not decreased much, only about 5,000 VND/kg. Specifically, the previous sausage from 90,000 VND/kg to 85,000 VND/kg; drumstick drumsticks 85,000 VND/kg to 80,000 VND/kg, lean chips 110,000 VND/kg to 105,000 VND/kg. Particularly, young ribs still keep the price of 150,000 VND/kg, while before it was at 145,000 VND/kg. Explaining the above disproportionate price reduction, Mr. Tien said that normally, when the price of pigs goes down, the price of thin pigs will also drop directly, even if the reduction is more than the price of live pigs. Particularly, mixed pork usually does not decrease immediately, but gradually, on the contrary, the increase will also be gradual because traders and traders have signed contracts with each other in advance for a fixed period of time. Retail pork prices are still high, making consumers wonder. That is also the reason why small traders in some retail markets said that the price of pork of all kinds they sold has not decreased much, some places only decreased by about 5,000 – 10,000 VND/kg. Co Nhi, a small pork trader at Go Vap market (HCMC), said that for more than a week now, she has been importing wholesale pork at a high, unchanged price, about 117,000 – 125,000 VND/kg. Therefore, the retail price of pork remains high: young ribs 180,000-190,000 VND/kg, bacon 155,000 – 160,000 VND/kg, thighs 110,000 – 120,000 VND/kg… “The wholesale price of pork has not decreased, so I still keep the selling price. Prices of ham, ribs, and bacon are still high, so customers buy less and consumption is slow. Accordingly, the amount of imported goods also decreased from 100 kg/day to only 40 kg/day. Only when the wholesale price of imported pork and snakehead meat decreases, the retail price will decrease accordingly, which can stimulate buyers to increase pork consumption again,” Ms. Nhi said. Mr. Nguyen Dang Phu – Deputy General Director of Vietnam Vissan Animal Industry Joint Stock Company, also assessed that the sales force for pork products is currently very slow, the company has to reduce the price of all kinds of young ribs and cutlets by 15%. , pork belly pulled ribs… to stimulate purchasing power. Meanwhile, in the same market, the price of pork varies from place to place. At Base Market 26A (Go Vap District, some stalls quote the price of young ribs VND 165,000/kg, bacon 120,000 VND/kg, thighs 100,000 VND/kg… But another stall is not far away, the seller quoted the price. higher than 20,000 – 25,000 VND/kg, specifically: 180,000 VND/kg baby ribs, 140,000 VND/kg bacon, 120,000 VND/kg thighs… As explained by the small traders, the retail price of pork depends on each market, both wholesale and retail markets. At the beginning of the session (3 – 4 am) pork prices will be high and prices will decrease at the end of the session (6 – 7 am). Some retail sellers will watch out for wholesale markets to import “dropped goods” at cheap prices and sell cheaply to push goods; and those who import goods early, the meat is delicious, the price is higher, so they are forced to retail at a high price. “This whole week, I imported thin pigs with a constant price of 105,000 VND/kg, not 78,000 – 85,000 VND/kg. Not to mention, the purchasing power is slow, there is still a lot of meat left in the afternoon so I have to sell it all cheaply to the shops; The price at the beginning of the session, at the end of the session, is not much profit,” explained Ms. Thuyen – selling pork at Cho Base 26A. As noted by us, meat prices at some slaughterhouses also remained high. For example, in Vissan, even after the reduction of pork, it is still quite high. Pork ribs 275,000 VND/kg reduced to 210,000 VND/kg, pork belly 205,000 VND/kg reduced to 175,000 VND/kg, thigh meat 166,000 VND/kg reduced to 145,000 VND/kg… Branded packaged pork… Meat Deli is even higher: thigh 152,000 VND/kg, pork belly 192,000 VND/kg, cutlet 124,000 VND/kg, pork leg boneless 160,000 VND/kg… (According to Women in HCMC)