Pork prices hit a new record high.

Many pig farms in northern Vietnam suffered heavy losses after the storms and floods, with some even being wiped out, leading to a shortage of pork supply. As a result, the price of live pigs has surged, reaching new highs.

Mr. Toan, the owner of a pig farm in Khoai Chau ( Hung Yen province ), shared that some local farmers have sold live pigs at prices ranging from 70,000 to 71,000 VND/kg. This is the highest price since the beginning of the year.

According to reports from provinces and cities in the North, live pigs were purchased at 68,000-70,000 VND/kg on September 20th - the highest price nationwide, while in the Central and Southern regions, the common price ranged from 63,000-65,000 VND/kg. (See details)

ST25 rice prices have increased unusually.

Recently, businesses dealing in specialty rice have been anxious due to the continuous price increases reported by suppliers for ST25 rice. According to the Nguoi Lao Dong newspaper, the "Ong Cua Rice" brand, created by Mr. Ho Quang Cua, the father of this famous rice variety, has already increased its price twice. The first increase was on September 1st, at 2,000 VND/kg, and the second, effective from September 17th, was at 1,500 VND/kg.

Due to the sharp increase in ST25 rice prices, some retailers are temporarily suspending sales of this product, waiting for prices to stabilize. Because of the supply shortage, the price of ST25 paddy has surged to 10,000-12,000 VND/kg, an increase of 2,000-3,000 VND/kg, which in turn has led to a rise in rice prices of approximately 5,000 VND/kg.

Customers flock to buy buffalo meat from the Do Son fighting buffaloes for good luck, at a cheaper price than in previous years.

The 2024 Do Son Buffalo Fighting Festival featured a total of 15 incredibly dramatic matches, attracting a large number of spectators and tourists. Besides the excitement of witnessing the fierce fighting moves of the buffaloes, locals and tourists were also very enthusiastic and willing to spend millions of dong to buy buffalo meat for good luck.

Buffalo meat from the Do Son fighting buffaloes is sold at prices ranging from around 2 million VND/kg, with customers crowding to buy it hoping for good luck. Compared to previous years, the price of buffalo meat is cheaper this year. (See details)

Despite the high price, green plums are still attracting customers.

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Green loquats, once a local fruit, have now become an extremely expensive item at Hanoi markets. (Photo: Provided by the interviewee)

"Before, ripe, juicy red loquats were dirt cheap, while green loquats were so unripe nobody would take them for free. Now, these unripe loquats have become a hot trend, costing a super expensive 430,000 VND/kg," said Ms. Le Kieu Van while finalizing customer orders.

At this price, according to Ms. Van, green loquats surpass the price of all domestic fruits, becoming the most expensive item in the market. They are even much more expensive than many imported fruits from the US, Australia, Thailand, etc., currently sold in the Vietnamese market.

Currently, on online marketplaces, green loquats are being sold for 300,000-430,000 VND/kg. Suppliers only deliver orders of 300g or more. Loquats pickled in salt and chili are priced from 65,000-70,000 VND/set; green loquats with chili dipping sauce are priced from 90,000-120,000 VND/set. (See details)

Laptops are discounted by tens of millions of VND.

From now until the end of October, new students at universities, colleges, vocational schools, and professional training centers nationwide will complete their enrollment procedures to begin the new academic year.

Recognizing the demand for equipment among new university students, according to Nguoi Dua Tin, a number of electronics supermarkets have launched discount and promotional programs to attract customers, especially for laptops. Some laptop models have seen price reductions of tens of millions of VND during this period.

In addition to discounts of up to 55%, many electronics supermarkets are also launching a promotional program called "exchange exam scores for cash" for new university students to attract customers.

Mooncakes on sale at huge discounts are still not selling.

This year's Mid-Autumn Festival saw low consumer demand and sluggish sales. According to Tien Phong newspaper, after the full moon of the eighth lunar month, many mooncake stalls in Hanoi had to drastically reduce prices to stimulate demand and clear inventory.

Many brands have had to lower prices by 30-50%, with some even offering buy-one-get-one-free deals to clear their inventory. Despite being put on display early and offering many promotions, the large amount of unsold mooncakes is causing many business owners to feel disheartened. Even with prices slashed to two-thirds of their pre-Mid-Autumn Festival prices, not many people are interested.

Even buying Tet holiday plane tickets early, it's still difficult to find cheap tickets.

Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet have started selling Tet holiday flight tickets early. However, according to Tuoi Tre newspaper, many passengers are still having difficulty finding cheap tickets, and prices have increased significantly compared to the same period last year, especially on provincial routes and during peak days.

According to surveys, early Tet holiday flight tickets from airlines on various routes are currently quite high. For example, on the Ho Chi Minh City - Hanoi route on January 25, 2025 (the 26th day of the 12th lunar month), Vietnam Airlines is selling tickets at 3.7 million VND/ticket/one-way in economy class and 9.8 million VND in business class (including taxes and fees). One of the main reasons for the high Tet 2025 ticket prices is the shortage of aircraft.