Fish and veggie prices go up due to scarce supply

Pricy greens: The reason some vegetables such as ‘sawi’, ‘bayam hijau’ and cucumber had shown the greatest price increases in Peninsular Malaysia was due to weather conditions in agricultural areas.

JOHOR BARU: Consumers will have to fork out extra money for vegetables and fish, as prices of these items have increased due to the monsoon season.

Checks by The Star showed that fresh red chilies are now priced at RM16 per kg, compared to RM10 about a week ago.

Vegetables such as lady’s fingers and long beans are now being sold at RM9 per kg, up from RM5 and RM7 respectively before the floods hit Johor and Pahang on New Year’s Day.

Market trader Zamana Abu Bakar said even the price of bean sprouts had gone up from RM1.50 per kg to RM3.

She said vegetable prices started to spike at the start of the monsoon season last month.

“A crate of tomatoes is now RM34 compared to RM22 previously,” she added.

Fellow vegetable trader Lee Bing Long said the prices were likely to remain high until the Chinese New Year period.

“My customers are complaining, but I cannot do much as we get the supply from middlemen,” he said.

Lee added that his suppliers from Kulai and Taman Ungku Tun Ami­nah had warned him earlier that prices would increase due to the rainy season.

Fishmonger Hairul Nizam Paiman said ikan kembung (mackerel) was now priced at RM23 per kg, up from RM18, while torpedo scad (cecaru) was going for RM15 compared to RM12 before the rainy season began.

“Fishermen cannot go out to sea due to strong winds and rough sea conditions,” he said.

Fellow fishmonger Ng Ah Hwa said due to the depleting supply, he had no choice but to raise the prices.

“The Spanish mackerel is now selling at RM30 per kg, up from RM28 previously,” he added.