Fish and veg prices to drop within weeks, says Mydin boss

 

The boss of Mydin hypermarkets says prices will return to normal within three weeks.

PETALING JAYA: The boss of the Mydin hypermarket chain says a recent spike in food prices, which rose by 30% to 250%, is likely to return to normal within three weeks.

Ameer Ali Mydin, managing director of Mydin hypermarkets, said the recent spike in prices was caused by flooding in several states and restrictions imposed by the movement control order.

In the last two weeks, the price of poultry has gone up by 10% to 15%, while local fish like Mabung went from RM12 to RM18 per kilogramme, and Kembong from RM7 to RM9 per kilogramme, he said.

“Vegetables prices have more than doubled: lady’s fingers was RM6 per kilogramme, now it’s RM12. Tomato prices have increased from RM3.50 to RM9 per kilogramme.”

Ameer said the recent bout of monsoon flooding had damaged farms and roads, while MCO restrictions caused wholesale markets to be closed or to operate at limited hours.

“So because of this, there is a shortage of supply and this has led to the spike in prices. We expect that prices will return to normal in two to three weeks. This is a temporary situation and it has happened for decades under every government. The solution lies in increasing the supply of food items,” he said.

Earlier today, Umno deputy president Mohamad Hasan had urged the government to solve the problem of rising prices of essential goods, saying the public was especially burdened by the increased prices of raw food.

Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations chief executive Paul Selva Raj said the federation had received many complaints on prices of food items.

“This is a weakness in the supply chain but it’s not a new issue, we know floods happen every year but what have we done to prepare for the situation? What is our long-term strategy to ensure that food is always accessible and affordable? We are paying the price for neglecting our agricultural sector for years,” he said.

He urged the government to develop a long-term strategy to safeguard food security. - FMT