A SINGAPORE PRESS HOLDINGS WEBSITE
George Town, Malaysia, January 16, 2012 Prices of popular food items for Chinese New Year have increased following short supply and high demand. A check around shops and a stall in Campbell Street, for example, revealed that prices of vegetables, abalone, sea cucumber and mushroom have increased by 10% to 30% compared with last year. Kwong Tuck Sundries and Liquors Sdn Bhd director Woo Shee Khow, 82, said the xin hui oranges and guang xi pomeloes at his shop were selling like hot cakes despite a price increase of almost 50%. "These fruits are only harvested once a year during winter, and ripen in time for Chinese New Year. "Because of that, supply is limited. However, they are still very popu- lar and sell out very fast," said Woo. He added that the company had not imported mushrooms from Japan this year but got them from China instead. "Because of the tsunami in Japan last year, supply of the Japanese mushrooms has dwindled," he said. A vegetable seller, who only wanted to be known as Tan, said her business had been increasing as Chinese New Year approaches. "Prices have increased by about 10% due to the floods in Thailand last year," she said. In Malacca, consumers are likely to fork out more for vegetables during this festive season, especially those imported from China. Malacca Vegetable Dealers' Association president Pang Chau Boon said prices of imported vegetables, such as leek, lotus root, cabbage, kailan and other greens had been unstable over the last week due to shortage in supply. "We were told that the China suppliers could not maintain a stable output due to floods and bad weather. "This has affected our import and consumers might have to pay more for the vegetables when the demand gets higher with the festival so near," he said. In Ipoh, prices of spring onions, English cabbage and French beans have all gone up. "Tomatoes which cost between RM1.20 (S$0.90) and RM1.30 per kilo a week ago has now shot up to RM2," a vegetable seller said.
