File picture of people shopping for vegetables at a wet market in Kuala Lumpur October 28, 2021. – Picture by Yusof Mat Isa
KUALA TERENGGANU, Nov 24 — Terengganu traders want the government to act fast to overcome sharp rise in vegetable prices over the past two weeks.
A check by Bernama at the Chabang Tiga Market here found that most traders admitted that they had to buy vegetables at more expensive prices from wholesalers and made a profit of only RM1 to RM2 per kilogramme.
Vegetable trader Zulkifli Ali, 30, said he was informed that the increase in vegetable prices was due to the heavy rains which caused shortage of vegetable supply from Cameron Highlands, Pahang.
“Weather factors are out of our control, what can we do…at the end of each year the price will go up a little because farmers’ activities are affected due to heavy rains,” he told reporters here today.
He said the prices of vegetables had gone up by 50 per cent per kg.
Food stall trader Nor Harizan Hassan, 43, said her business was affected by the sudden hike in prices of vegetables.
“Grade A cucumbers used to be only RM18 per bag, now the price has gone up between RM32 and RM35. Lady’s finger is sold at RM10 per kg now compared to only RM6 per kg previously,” she said.
Meanwhile, Terengganu Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs (KPDNHEP) director Saharuddin Mohd Kia said the ministry was checking the supply chain at all levels to find the real cause of the price hikes.
“If there is an element of profiteering, we will take action under the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act 2011.
“Every day, price monitoring officers (PPH) and Terengganu KPDNHEP enforcement officers will go down to the ground to inspect business premises to ensure that traders do not raise prices arbitrarily,” he said. — Bernama