Camerons vege prices go up

Harvesting waste: Crops being destroyed by an enforcement unit at an illegal farm in Cameron Highlands.

KUALA LUMPUR: Now it’s really time to eat up your greens as it is getting costlier to waste them.

Vegetable seller Tan Kai Hiong, 41, said that prices of greens especially spring onions, coriander and even chillies had risen by more than 20% since last Wednesday’s floods in Cameron Highlands.

“Spring onions used to cost RM10 per kg but now they are selling for between RM13 and RM15 per kg. Chilli prices have also increased from RM13 per kg to RM15,” he said, adding that the rainy weather could be another contributing factor.

He said the price of other vegetables like cabbage, long cabbage, capsicum, tomatoes and even Japanese cucumber had risen as well.

“We do not know how much further the price will increase as many of the vegetable farms are now in a fix due to a lack of manpower,” said Tan, who operates at Taman Tun Dr Ismail market.

Another trader, Judy Yap, 50, said there was a slight increase in prices but the full effect would only be felt in the weeks to come.

“The last time the dam overflowed, we thought that there would be a major impact, but there was hardly any.

“This time, however, we noticed a slight increase in prices and I believe that it may become worse, especially with many farms not having enough workers due to the crackdown on illegals,” she said.

Florist Jenny Loo, 60, said the floods had no impact yet on the price of flowers.

“The floods and landslides did not affect the whole of Cameron Highlands. We are still getting our supply at the usual price,” she said.

In George Town, Penang florists are concerned about the possibility of rising prices.

GR Florist manager P. Gunathan said the prices had been the same so far but he was expecting an increase next month.

“Most of my supply is from Cameron Highlands. I continue to receive my flowers every day. So far, the price and quality are good,” he said yesterday.

At Viviana Gifts Centre in Bishop Street, a worker said flowers from Cameron Highlands were still of the same price and quality.

“Our suppliers have not informed us of any price hike,” she said.

However, Venus Florist Sdn Bhd director M. Yogeshparee said the quality of roses had dropped a little although the prices were the same.

Whenever the weather was bad, she said the flowers would turn brown at the edges.

In BUTTERWORTH, R. Muniamah, 63, who has been selling flowers at the Seberang Jaya public market for the last 22 years, said her supply of flowers such as carnations and daisies came from Cameron Highlands but her supplier was not affected by the floods and landslides.

Zambry Zulkifly, 39, who sells vegetables at the Seberang Jaya public market, said the supply of tomatoes and broccoli had gone down.

T. Selloraji, 65, who operates at a market in Jalan Jetty Lama, said prices were slightly affected.

He said he was now selling sawi at RM3 per kg compared to RM2 previously.

“Now I sell Grade C tomatoes at RM2.20 per kg compared to RM1.50 previously.” -Star