Healthy meals are stuck amidst soaring prices.

Consumers are increasingly concerned about food quality and the origin of agricultural products. However, a gap remains between the desire for safe food and the ability to pay for it in many families.

Consumers choose to buy safe fruits and vegetables at a supermarket in Rach Gia ward. Photo: AN LAM

Moments of hesitation at the counter

On a weekend afternoon, the fresh produce section of a supermarket in Rach Gia ward was quite crowded. In front of the vegetable counter, Ms. Le Thi Kim Ngan slowly pushed her shopping cart along the display shelves. On one side were organic vegetables priced at around 45,000 VND/kg, while on the other were conventionally produced vegetables at only about 15,000 VND/kg. Hesitating for a while between the two prices, Ms. Ngan explained that her family includes both young children and elderly people, so they are very concerned about food quality. However, maintaining the habit of buying only clean food isn't always easy.

"Organic vegetables are safe to use, but every time I go to the market I have to buy everything from vegetables, meat, fish to fruit. If I choose the best quality for everything, my living expenses will increase significantly," said Ms. Ngan. After a few minutes of consideration, she took some organic vegetables, and the rest she chose conventional vegetables. According to her, this is also a method many families are using to balance their expenses.

At a rice shop on Tran Quang Khai Street, Rach Gia Ward, Ms. Nguyen Thi Tuyen was examining the different types of rice displayed on the shelves. Holding a bag of VietGAP-certified rice, grown in shrimp farming areas and recognized as a 3-star OCOP product, Ms. Tuyen carefully read the information printed on the packaging. When the staff quoted a price of around 35,000 VND/kg, she nodded slightly and put it back on the shelf. After a few minutes of comparison, she chose a common type of rice priced at around 13,000 VND/kg. "I liked the description because it's safe and has a clear brand, but my family is large and we use quite a lot of rice each month. A difference of over 20,000 VND per kilogram means I have to reconsider," Ms. Tuyen said.

The reality is that today's consumers are no longer indifferent to food quality. They research, consider, and desire better products, but their final decisions are still heavily influenced by their family's actual income.

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The value of clean agricultural products

In Chau Thanh commune, Mr. Nguyen Van Muoi has been pursuing a model of producing clean rice for many years. On his family's farm, the use of fertilizers and pesticides is strictly controlled to create a safer product for consumers.

According to Mr. Mười, producing clean rice requires more effort from farmers, from caring for the plants and monitoring pests to managing the production process. Therefore, the costs are higher compared to conventional farming methods. “Many customers who have tried the rice have praised it as delicious, fragrant, and safe to use. However, when brought to market, the price remains a factor that many people consider before deciding to buy it regularly,” Mr. Mười said.

A similar situation is occurring with many producers of organic vegetables. Having marketed organic hydroponically grown vegetables for six years, Ms. Diep Thi Diem Thuy, a member of the Rach Gia Organic Agricultural Products Cooperative, said that she has temporarily suspended production for over a year. According to Ms. Thuy, producing organic vegetables means minimizing the use of chemicals during cultivation. Pest and disease control mainly relies on biological preparations from neem leaves, garlic, chili peppers, and many other natural ingredients.

"The cost of producing organic vegetables can sometimes be three or four times higher than the conventional method. A one-liter bottle of biological pesticide used to control pests costs nearly 1 million VND, while a bottle of chemical pesticide costs just over 100,000 VND. Producing organic vegetables is expensive, but it's very difficult to compete on price in the market," Ms. Thuy said.

What worries Ms. Thuy is that the number of customers willing to pay more for clean produce is still quite limited. “Only about 10% of my friends and acquaintances are willing to buy clean vegetables at around 40,000 VND/kg, about 15,000 VND/kg higher than regular vegetables. Many people understand the value of clean vegetables, but when shopping daily, they still prioritize items that fit their budget,” Ms. Thuy said.

According to many producers, the current selling price of clean agricultural products partly reflects the actual costs they incur. From biological supplies and cultivation processes to quality control, everything is more expensive than mass production. Meanwhile, most consumers still have to balance many other essential expenses. The gap between production costs and affordability makes it difficult for many clean products, despite their high value, to expand their market.

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To make clean products a more frequent part of family meals, I believe more time, market support, and solutions to reduce costs from production to consumption are needed. Only then will the gap between consumer desires and choices gradually narrow.

AN LAM

Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/bua-com-sach-mac-ket-giua-bao-gia-a488543.html