Indian snack supply in Johor affected by cooking oil shortage

Wong Kok Wai, who owns a second generation wholesale and sundry shop in Johor Baru, tending to a customer who is purchasing subsidised cooking oil packets. — THOMAS YONG/The Star

THE shortage of cooking oil, coupled with rising raw material costs, have impacted the sales of Indian snacks for Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebrations.

Johor Indian Petty Traders and Small Business Association chairman D. Ravindran said the supply of Indian snacks had dropped despite increasing demand.

He added that the gap between supply and demand had been filled by factory-made snacks, which were often sold at lower prices but lacked the authentic taste of handmade products.

“Previously, there was strong demand from our Malay customers for omapodi, achu murukku and murukku ahead of Hari Raya.

Ravindran says traders have been forced to sell smaller portions at higher prices.

“These snacks are manually prepared, making them more flavourful compared to mass-produced versions.

“However, small business owners who produce these traditional snacks are struggling due to the ongoing cooking oil shortage.”

Ravindran said because of this, many customers had turned to alternatives.

He also expressed frustration that business associations were often left out of discussions on essential goods’ shortages, despite being directly affected.

“It feels like our opinions do not matter, even though we deal with consumers daily.

“The government, especially policymakers, should consult us before making decisions because these issues affect people’s livelihood,” he said, adding that a proper market study should be conducted on the impact of supply shortages on small businesses.

To cope with rising costs, tra­ders have been forced to sell smaller portions of their snacks at slightly higher prices.

“Not all of us have a steady flow of customers from Singa­pore.

“Most of us rely on locals to buy our pro­ducts.

“If we increase prices too much, customers might not buy.

“So, it’s better to earn something rather than nothing.”

The shortage has also affected Indian traders’ ability to participate in bazaars as they struggle to secure enough supply to sustain operations.

“We would only be creating trouble for ourselves because we do not have enough stock to sustain a stall in the bazaar.”

Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali was reported to have said that government intervention was crucial to ensure sufficient bottled cooking oil supply over the next three months.