Beef price remains high in Vientiane markets
Beef price remains high in Vientiane markets
The cost of beef in Vientiane markets has not dropped despite attempts by the relevant sectors to rein in prices over recent months.
Several meat sellers in Nongduang market, Vientiane, said this week the price of beef has been stable at 70,000 kip per kilogramme for the past several months. But it is likely to rise slightly in the near future according to the village's slaughterhouse.
There appears to be some uncertainty here, as Ms Noi, who sells beef in Nongduang market, said the price would fall in the coming months. However, she pointed out that this message has been relayed before, yet nothing has happened.
“I buy one kilogramme of beef for more than 60,000 kip at the slaughterhouse and this is just ordinary grade meat. It's not good beef. I don't earn much from selling it and this generally amounts to about a 1,000-2,000 kip profit per kilogramme.”
Ms Noi said that because the price is high, it's impossible to make it attractive to consumers and they frequently ask why it must hit them so hard in the pocket.
“I want to sell it at a lower price because they have so much choice. They can take home pork, fish or beef but the latter isn't a priority these days.”
She said she herself would prefer to buy pork because it costs around 35,000 kip per kilogramme, as opposed to 70,000 for the same weight of beef. On top of this, consumers know the price of pork hardly ever changes.
According to Ms Noi, selling beef is not as profitable as it was in the past so these days she buys less from the slaughterhouse. At present, she'll return with about 70-100 kilogrammes instead of the 200 kilogrammes she would buy a few years ago.
Ms N oi also said traders at some markets, particularly Khuadin, sell beef for 80,000 kip per kilogramme of prime beef. On the other hand, she has dropped her price to 70,000 kip but said the price paid will always reflect the quality.
Mr Khamphou Pholsena, who raises cattle in Xaythany district, Vientiane, said he sells a single cow for 2.5-3 million kip at his farm. The cows are always over one year old and quite heavy, meaning they are better quality and carry more meat.
“Cattle rearing ensures a good return because the markets always demand it. I sell about 10 cows per month and will of course negotiate the price with buyers.”
Mr Khamphou also said the price of cattle will be higher in the future because only a small number of farmers raise them for commercial purposes because it takes a long time for the animals to mature.
The beef price in Vientiane markets is not going down even though attempt s have been made to control it. The cost of beef started to rise several years ago and reached 40,000-45,000 kip per kilogramme in 2009. In 2011, it was 60,000 kip per kilogramme and this year it's at an all-time high of 70,000-80,000 kip, according to Ms Noi.
vientiane times
