PETALING JAYA: With the steep rise in vegetable prices the Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) has advised Malaysians to begin 2024 with growing their own vegetables.
"CAP believes that 2024 will be more challenging to consumers on food prices and they should look into growing any type of vegetables and herbal plants," said its natural farming coordinator N V Subbarow in a statement on Sunday (Dec 31).
"Incessant rain and flash floods is causing hardship to farmers (part of the climate crisis), destroying lives, crops and livelihoods and is undermining people's ability to feed themselves," he added.
Subbarow said global fertiliser prices have climbed even faster than food prices, remaining at a ten year high.
"The effects of the war in Ukraine, including higher natural gas prices have further disrupted global fertilizer production and exports, reducing supplies, raising prices and threatening to reduce harvests.
"We are urging consumers to easily grow their own vegetables at home, which can be cost effective as planting edible greens does not require a big space."
Subbarow said fruiting plants such as okra, brinjal, chillies and leafy vegetables like sawi, kangkong, kailan, bayam as well as perennial plants of mint, pegaga, kesum and selom could be easily grown, even on a balcony.
"As such Malaysians should practice urban gardening as price increase in greens is expected to last another year," he added.
