HCM City (VNA) - Most businesses in Ho Chi Minh City have wrapped upplans for their Tet (the Lunar New Year) production almost two months ahead ofthe country’s biggest festival, which falls on February 16.

The total value of goods they will produce for distribution two months beforeand after the festival is 17.8 trillion VND (784.1 million USD), 743 billion VND(32.7 million USD) higher than last year, Nguyen Huynh Trang, Deputy Directorof the Department of Industry and Trade, said.

The focus would be on poultry and cattle meats, sugar, eggs, processed foods,cooking oils and rice, she said.

Vissan Joint Stock Company, which processes and sells fresh and frozen meat andfoods, said the company started making its plans in June and earmarked 650billion VND for Tet production.

The company will supply 3,000 tonnes of fresh pork and beef and over 3,500tonnes of processed foods, 30 per cent and 15 per cent more than last year.

It also plans to launch many new products this year.

Saigon Food Deputy General Director Le Thi Thanh Lam said the company hasproduced more than 800 tonnes of finished products and launched 16 newprocessed food and ready-to-eat products for the Lunar New Year.

Many poultry meat and egg suppliers like Ba Huan and Vinh Thanh Dat as well asconfectionery producers also plan to increase supply.

Supermarkets, malls and convenience stores have also made plans for Tet, withmany planning to increase supply two or three times over normal.

Saigon Co.op has stockpiled 130,000 tonnes of goods, a year-on-year increase of15 percent, for three months starting a month before Tet.

The quantity of goods it will sell under the city’s annual Tet pricestabilisation programme will increase by 5-30 percent, while the supply offresh foods, including vegetables, fruits and meats, confectionery, sweets,beverages and beer will be 15-30 percent higher than last year.

Lotte Mart Vietnam said it would increase supply by over 25 percent compared tolast year.

It has also asked its suppliers not to hike prices during Tet.

The supermarket plans to offer more than Tet gift packs at prices ranging from 68,600VND to 1.25 million VND.

Big C supermarket chain too has made efforts to ensure adequate supply andsteady prices during Tet.

To meet the higher demand, especially for essential goods, it has negotiatedwith producers and suppliers to buy ample quantities of beers, beverages,confectionery and other products.

Producers and retailers will also have many promotions, especially forbeverages, confectionary, sweets, candy and clothes, according to theDepartment of Industry and Trade.

The companies participating in the price stabilisation programme have promisedto keep prices steady for a month before and after the holidays, it said.

They would cut the prices of essential items like pork and chicken meat andeggs before Tet, it said.

The department will coordinate with other relevant agencies to monitor themarket to ensure supply and quality.

It will work with the managers of traditional markets to encourage traders notto sell goods without clear origins.-VNA