Vegetable prices not affected in Perak

In high demand: Mithun (left) and Rathi Vishali showing the lady’s fingers they sell at their stall at the Ipoh Central Market.

IPOH: Prices of local vegetables are stable despite the recent rainy season.

Some of the leafy greens even saw a reduction in prices of between 10% and 20% due to oversupply since a month ago.

Trader Tan Boon An, who has been selling some 50 varieties of vegetables at the wet market in the Urban Transformation Centre Ipoh here, said prices of most vegetables from Cameron Highlands had come down.

“The leafy greens such as the mustard greens (sawi), napa cabbage, cabbage and lettuce from the hill are still seeing good yields.

“Sometimes, the supply exceeds demand and this pushes the prices down,” he said when met yesterday.

Tan, 60, who has been in the trade for over 30 years, said that he had not been told of any expected price hike from his suppliers.

However, he noted that imported vegetables from China and Australia had gone up about 10% due to high global demand and a weak Malay­sian currency.

“Prices of carrot and celery from both countries have increased since three weeks ago, as well as kailan and mustard green from China.

“So far, I am able to maintain sales for both local and imported vegetables,” added Tan, whose variety of vegetables consist of 20% imported supplies and 40% each for Cameron Highlands vegetables and local farms.

When contacted, Kinta Vegetable Dealers Association president Tan Gee Kiang said that prices for local vegetables were still cheap and not affected.

“The recent rain did not affect our supplies in Cameron Highlands. Prices of a majority of leafy greens are still the same,” he said.

Tan also noted that unlike other products, vegetables were perishable items and sellers were bound to clear their stocks, regardless of price.

“That is why the prices of vegetables often fluctuate with market forces.

“We must keep selling to clear the stocks. It is not something that we can keep and wait for a price increase to get more profits,” he added.

However, another vegetable trader Mithun Bharathi said prices for his supply of lady’s fingers from local farms in Simpang Pulai had gone up 40% since two weeks ago due to the rainy season.

“The price used to be RM2.50 per kg but it has now increased to RM4 per kg.

“I was told that the frequent rain has affected the produce,” he said.

Mithun, whose family business has been supplying vegetables to mainly hotels and mamak restaurants in the city, said prices of other vegetables such as tomatoes, French beans and cabbage had also gone up due to higher demand for export.

“Prices of these vegetables have increased between 50% and 70% over the past three weeks,” he said.