After several news stories highlighting the sale of toxic pork, many people in Can Tho City have opted to buy fish despite higher prices.
Pork sales have crashed in Can Tho City
In several markets in the city including Tan An, Xuan Khach, Cai Khe, almost all butchers complained that they have incurred a sharp fall in sales for recent days.
Mai, a butcher in Tan An Market said, “Since the news that some kinds of pork contain toxic substances was widely spread, pork sales have sharply decreased. Despite reducing prices, the situation hasn’t improved. I may have to shut down for a period if the situation doesn’t change.”
Several other butchers also complained that even though contaminated pork had only been found in Dong Nai Province, people in Can Tho City had their doubts over the quality of local pork.
Local quarantine agencies have made clear to residents that local pork isn’t a health risk, providing them with helpful tips in choosing good quality pork, but consumers have yet to change their behaviour.
Due to decreased consumption, many butchers have had to slash daily pork orders by a third or even half, but despite the price cuts pork isn’t easy to sell.
Instead, local consumers are choosing to buy freshwater fish, driving prices up by VND10-20,000 (USD0.4-USD0.9) a kilo.
A local consumer said, “Pork may contain toxic substances, poultry could be infected with the H5N1 virus, we see fish as the healthiest option. I hope that food safety will improve soon, and the prices should be stabilised”.
