IPOH: Kacang putih makers in Buntong are preparing for a surge in Deepavali sales, with orders flooding in since September as customers stock up for the festival.
S. Kirthen, 28, manager of a fourth-generation kacang putih manufacturing business, said orders had so far increased by 30% compared with the same period last year.
“We started accepting orders earlier after being overwhelmed by orders and facing manpower shortages in previous years.
“This year, we are better prepared, having hired more workers and trained them to cope with the festive rush,” he said when met at his shop yesterday.
To address the manpower shortage, Kirthen said he had hired additional workers, including Orang Asli whom he got to know through the government’s Akademi Dalam Industri (ADI) programme.
“They have been trained ahead of the festive season and are performing well,” he said.
He added that Deepavali, which falls on Nov 8 this year, was the busiest time of the year for his business, with sales typically rising by more than 50%, driven by demand from wholesalers, corporate customers and walk-in buyers.
“Most orders come from wholesalers and retailers, including customers from Kuala Lumpur and Penang, who prefer to buy their supplies early rather than travel to Ipoh closer to the festival.
“We expect to receive more than 2,000 orders for Deepavali and anticipate about 50,000 walk-in customers as the festival draws near,” he said, adding that business typically peaks about a week before the festival.
Among the most popular items during the festive season are mixed packs of kacang putih, murukku and traditional sweets such as laddu and athirasam.
Kirthen said most products were made in-house using a combination of machinery and manual labour.
“While machinery is used to prepare mixtures and dough, other processes, including frying the nuts, still require workers to handle them by hand,” he said.
Another kacang putih business owner, T. Vasantha, 63, said that during festive seasons, customers travelled from various states to buy kacang putih and traditional sweets from her shop, with sales rising by about 50%.
“Apart from Deepavali, we also have customers buying for Christmas, Hari Raya Aidilfitri and Chinese New Year,” she said.
Vasantha said more than 100 people visited her shop daily, with numbers expected to rise as the festival approaches.
“I expect more customers over the weekend, including those from Johor, Kuala Lumpur and Penang.
“I expect to sell about 600 packs of kacang putih this Saturday alone,” she added.
