Malaysia sees mandarin shortage compared to 2016
"We will wait until next week to see if there are any new consignments coming in to increase the supply we have currently," added Ahmad Shabery.
Speaking to reporters after inspecting a mandarin orange consignment with Customs Department officers, Ahmad Shabery said that local traders imported 56,000 tonnes of oranges from China last year.
He also noted that the reduced supply has driven up prices leading to consumer complaints.
"It is just a little bit more expensive than previous years, but it is not too high and it is still affordable," he said.
Ahmad Shabery added that the arrival of more consignments could bring down the retail price of mandarin oranges.
"We are expecting another 12,000 tonnes of mandarin oranges to arrive from China soon," he added.
He said factors affecting the decrease in supply could also be due to slow production of the fruit in China.
"Perhaps our importers were also bringing in less because they think 56,000 tonnes is too much for us," added Ahmad Shabery.
source: thestar.com.my
