Price of some greens up 50% in Malaysia
Some food items are already costing as much as 50 per cent more, according to the average prices recorded by the Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority (Fama) in mid-December and on Thursday (Jan 5).
Highland round cabbage was priced USD $1.17 per kg just weeks ago but was sold at USD $1.51 on Thursday.
Farmers’ and growers’ associations cited several factors affecting the pricing, including the weakened ringgit and the unusually long monsoon season this time around.
Farmer T Thayalan, 27, said the production at his Simpang Pulai farm had dropped because of the rain. Mr Thayalan, who grows eggplants, cabbages and beans, said he was able to harvest one tonne of vegetables daily previously but this had dropped to 500kg in recent days. He said the low production would push prices up further.
Cameron Highlands Agriculture Association chairman Ng Tien Khuan said produce by farmers there had been affected as much as 50 per cent because of the weather. “Farmers are having a tough time as what they have planted cannot be harvested. The lack of sunlight and cold weather have affected the growth of vegetables,” he said. “This will lead to higher prices of greens. There is nothing the farmers can do as the planting to cope with the demand over the Chinese New Year season started two months ago.”
source: todayonline.com
