Essential but pricey: Nooraishah showing the spices and some cooking ingredients sold at her sundry shop in Bukit Gedong. — LIM BENG TATT/The Star
GEORGE TOWN: Even with Hari Raya around the corner, there doesn’t seem to be any shortage of cooking ingredients.
Checks at several wet markets and grocery stores found sufficient supplies, although traders complained about rising prices.
Sundry shop proprietor Nooraishah Mohd Zakaria, 57, said so far, she has had no problems ordering anything from suppliers during Ramadan this year.
She said there was nothing she could do about the rising prices, though.
Spices like cumin, black pepper, basil seeds, star anise and cinnamon were now between RM22 and RM38 per kilo, she said.
Based on her ledgers, she said the prices went up gradually during the pandemic.
The cost of spices, she said, were now about 40% more expensive than before.
For garlic, onion, dried chili and potatoes, she said the prices went up by about 100%, and that was the same with many other items.
“As far as I can tell, we have a steady supply of everything even with the higher demand.
“But I hope the increase in prices can be controlled,” she said.
Coconut milk trader Kuthubuddeen Sultan, 66, was also impressed that his suppliers could keep sending him enough coconuts and desiccated coconut, even though demand had gone up by 50%.
He said the demand would continue to rise in the last week of Ramadan as people needed coconut milk for rendang and many other dishes.
“Based on feedback from my suppliers, the supply of coconut will continue smoothly,” said Kuthubuddeen, who has been trading at Chowrasta Market for the past 20 years.
Chicken trader Abdul Rahim Abdul Rahman, 35, said he had no problem ordering chilled, slaughtered chickens.
“Supply is abundant but the only concern for us now is that the ceiling price set by the government is too low,” he said.
Abdul Rahim, who has been selling chicken at Pulau Tikus market for 10 years, said the authorities should allow traders to sell chicken at a higher price as the cost is too high now.
The current ceiling price of chicken minus transportation and other costs is RM9.40 per kilo.
Ahmad Asyraf Sanusi, 35, who sells local and imported beef at Permatang Pauh market, confirmed that he had no problems ordering beef products from wholesalers but expressed concern that prices might go up during the festive period.
“It’s not just the cost of the beef itself.
“There is also the transport and handling costs. But I hope the price of beef will remain stable,” said Ahmad Asyraf, who added that he made more orders recently because he expected sales to increase closer to the last day of Ramadan.
Zainap Mohamed, 66, a grandmother of six, said despite the price increases, she could do nothing as a consumer because it was happening everywhere.
“There are plenty cooking ingredients being sold, but I see that prices are higher now for almost everything.
“We have no choice because we still need them for our Hari Raya preparations,” she said.
