Deepavali celebrations dampened by exorbitant flour prices

A recent survey and study by Penang Hindu Association (PHA) on the prices of different types of flours derived from grains this Deepavali period reveal that the products being sold in the market and direct to retail customers are more than 100 percent of the prices of the actual whole grains.

The grains, ground by big flour manufacturers, are in high demand for the Deepavali festival. Instead of pricing at a marginal increase (as it is cheap to grind), the flour manufacturers sell the flours in packets direct to consumers at an extremely high price to maximise a staggering 200 percent profit for every packet produced.

Flour manufacturers purchase lentils (ulunthu), gram dhal (the leguminous seed kadalai paruppu), green gram (mung bean), rice, turmeric and dried chilly, buying them in large quantities and at much cheaper than the retail prices.

It appears as if festive seasons offer a greater platform and opportunities for these flour manufacturers and retailers to increase prices of such ingredients, knowing their importance in Indian culture and cuisine.

Hence, the tactic for profiteering appears to be to sell the whole grains as cheap as possible to the wholesalers or restaurants, and the flour that has been ground to retail consumers at a stiff, unjustifiable price, immaterial of the low grinding cost.

Either way, the consumers, who are normal ordinary people, are made to suffer and shoulder the increasing cost of these products.

The irony is that last year, due to the increase in the prices of whole grains, the flour mills justified the high price tags, but this year, although the prices of the whole grains have dropped, yet the flour manufacturers maintained the same prices of the flour packets and did not reduce them accordingly.

A comparison of the grain and flour prices, and of turmeric and dried chilly prices, is indicated here:

• 500gm of rice - RM1.30; 500gm of rice flour - RM3.20;
• 500gm of white ulunthu - RM3.25; 500gm of white ulunthu flour - RM6.80;
• 500gm of kadalai paruppu - RM3.25; 500gm of kadalai paruppu flour - RM6.80;
• 500gm of green gram - RM3; 500gm of green gram flour - RM6.50;
• 1kg of dried turmeric - RM12; 1kg of dried tumeric powder - RM17;
• 1kg of dried chilly - RM9; 1kg of dried chilli powder - RM19;

Hindus celebrating Deepavali can economise by buying whole grains and either grinding the grains themselves or sending them to a local flour mill, thus saving about 100 percent of the cost.

Health-wise, the consumers are then able to thoroughly wash the grains themselves to ensure proper hygiene is adhered to, before drying and sending them for the grinding process at the mill.

PHA urges the Ministry of Domestic Trade, Co-operatives and Consumerism to take immediate action by vetting, scrutinising and auditing all the flour manufacturers (grinders) for marketing these grain flours (which are major ingredients for Indian delicacies such as sweets, savouries, snacks, etc) at exorbitant prices.

This is to force them to reduce the high prices as soon as possible, to ensure that this Festival of Lights is not celebrated beneath all these dark clouds.
 

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P MURUGIAH is deputy president of the Penang Hindu Association. -Mkini