CORONAVIRUS | The air was thick with the stench of rotting fruits and vegetables as one entered Pusat Bandar Utara in Kuala Lumpur that was placed under an enhanced movement control order for more than three weeks until May 12.
Wholesalers and traders, who resumed operations at the Kuala Lumpur Wholesale Market yesterday afternoon, have had to clear away tonnes of decaying fruits and vegetables stuck inside their shop lots.
Pusat Bandar Utara, which is adjacent to the wholesale market, was locked down by the health authorities after a Covid-19 outbreak at the market and surrounding areas.
A check on the ground today found only 30 percent out of 150 shop lots at the market open for business while the rest were closed. Most of the shops that opened were fruit wholesale shops.
Rotting fruits in containers were placed at the entrances or along the walkway before they were hauled away but not before attracting a horde of flies and other assorted insects.
"Cheong", a 46-year-old fruit wholesaler, said he has to throw away more than 70 percent of his 20 tonnes of local fruits that he had kept at room temperature.
"I am waiting for Alam Flora to come again tomorrow so that I can throw away my rotten watermelons," he told Malaysiakini.
"I estimated my loss at between RM10,000 and RM20,000," he lamented.
Meanwhile, fruit wholesaler Tan Teck Chuan said he had to throw away fruits worth RM30,000.
Tan, however, noted that the government had allowed traders to clear out some of their stockpiles to prevent further loss during the enhanced MCO period.
"But, I couldn't clear my fruit stockpile. This was because the authorities only allowed those with a Covid-19 health report to come in.
"I had a Covid-19 report, but I don't have a lorry. The lorry drivers (I hired) did not have a Covid-19 report," he said.
He expects it will take him months to recuperate his losses what with the high costs of operations with five staff pus rental.
While both Cheong and Tan still have the luxury of help from the migrant labour workforce, 58-year-old Wong Soo Moey had to clear the decaying foodstuff all by herself with only the help of her partner.
She said she no longer could hire refugee workers as the government had banned them from working.
"Both of us started to clear out the rotting fruits all by ourselves since yesterday and we continued to do so today. The baskets were heavy," said Wong.
"Tomorrow, we will start business on a smaller scale. Two reasons being we don't have workers to help us and we don't know if the government going to implement another round of an enhanced MCO," she said.
"Despite the losses, I am still grateful we were so fortunate that we did not get infected by Covid-19.
"I am not blaming the government (for my losses), I understand why they have to do things this way," she added.
A worker at an imported fruits wholesale shop said they were able to clear away most of their uneatable fruits on the first day of the enhanced MCO itself.
"We took out the strawberries, grapes and oranges, only leaving apples inside the chillers as they could be kept for weeks," he said.
Another trader who spoke on the condition of anonymity said he was glad that fewer foreigners are spotted at Selayang now.
"Previously, these illegal traders, especially from Myanmar, were operating illegally all around the Pasar Borong Kuala Lumpur, making lives hard for the local wholesalers," he said.
"Some of them were even doing business just outside my premises and they would threaten to beat you up if you tried to stop them," he said.
"You don't have to pity them, pity us. We were doing business with a high cost and they were doing business without any cost incurred," he said.
Meanwhile, the dumpsite and garbage containers at the back lanes of Pusat Bandar Utara saw scavengers looking for food.
Hashim Muslim said he stayed nearby and had tried to get some grapes and other fruits for his family.
When contacted, Kuala Lumpur Vegetable Wholesalers' Association president Wong Keng Fatt believed that the business community at Pusat Bandar Utara alone had to throw away fruits, vegetables and eggs worth up to RM10 million.
"The government previously only allowed each shop lot two hours to clear out their perishables. It was impossible for them to clear everything out," he said.
"It may take at least six months for them to recover from their losses. Look at our economy, everyone is suffering," he said.
He believed some wholesalers and traders could not open their shops due to a shortage of manpower, mainly supplied by migrant labour.
He expected them to resume business but on a smaller scale due to workforce issues. - Mkini
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.