HCM City (VNS/VNA) - Many businessesin Ho Chi Minh City have prepared more than enough goods at stable prices forthe Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday, which falls on February 5.

Nguyen Ngoc An, General Directorof Vissan Joint Stock Company, the country’s leading food producer, said thecompany began its plans for the year’s biggest holiday a few months ago.

The company would supply3,200 tonnes of fresh meat and 2,800 tonnes of processed foods, 15-20 percenthigher than for last Tet. It also planned to launch many new products thisyear, he said.

The Saigon Food JointStock Company has prepared more than 1,500 tonnes of products to servecustomers on the country’s biggest holiday.

As usual, the companywill also launch new products such as fresh porridge, nutritious fresh soup,hotpot sets and others.

Many poultry meat andegg suppliers, including Ba Huan and Vinh Thanh Dat, as well as confectioneryproducers also plan to increase supply.

Ba Huan JSC, forinstance, will increase supply by 20 percent for the holiday season.

The company hasincreased productivity of its chicken farms for eggs and meat in Binh Duong andLong An provinces, and has sped up production of traditional sausage and otherprocessed products to meet high demand during Tet.

Similarly, mostconfectionery producers plan to increase supply and offer products at a wideprice range to meet varying tastes and budgets.

Bibica Corporation, oneof the leading confectionery businessesin Vietnam, will supply 3,000 tonnes of confectionery, up 20 percent from thelast Lunar New Year holiday.

Bibica is also set tolaunch many kinds of Tet gift boxes with unique and elegant designs.

The company said:“Confectionery prices will fluctuate this year, but more than 95 percent of ourconfectionery lines will remain unchanged, and prices will go up by 3-5 percenton the remaining products.”

Supermarkets, malls andconvenience stores have also made plans for Tet, with many increasing supplytwo or three times over normal.

At a recent dialogue with the city Government, Nguyen Ngoc Dien,Saigon Co.op’s senior manager of food segments, said the supermarket chain hadprepared for goods worth a total of 3 trillion VND (128.7 million USD) for Tet.

In addition to keeping price of products such as rice, sugar,cooking oil, pork, and poultry eggs and meat under the city’s pricestabilisation programme unchanged, Saigon Co.op will offer sharp discounts onabout 1,000 other products, she said.

According to the city’sDepartment of Industry and Trade, the total value of goods that companies inHCM City will stock during the two months before and after Tet will be 18.4 trillionVND, around 3.5 percent higher than last year.-VNS/VNA