Vegetable prices expected to soar due to continuous rain, says report

PETALING JAYA: Incessant downpours affecting the country have affected the supply of vegetables which are likely to see prices for greens soar in the future according to a report by Channel News Asia.

Malaysian Wholesaler Vegetable Association president Steven Lee said that continuous rainfall has reduced supply by 20% to 30% in crop-producing areas such as Malacca, Cameron Highlands, Pahang and markets in parts of Kuala Lumpur.

“Typically, during the third quarter of the year, between July and October, the weather will be good and there will be a supply rebalancing.

“Farmers will get a good crop yield and prices will fall.

“But this year, we have not seen this at all and prices are increasing, and likely to continue to rise,” he told the news portal.

Meanwhile, Yong Peng Vegetable Farmers’ Association chairperson Cheng Tai Hoe said that farmers in northern Johor had experienced a drop in vegetable supply by about 20% in the past month.

He said that this would lead to price increases with consumers who are better able to afford it, buying up the limited supply of vegetables in the markets.

Due to the unpredictable weather patterns, Lee said that farmers were considering relying on greenhouses to grow their crops.

“For farms with greenhouses, the impact of prolonged hot weather or rain is much less.

“The heavy rain does not impact these businesses as the crop yield is more consistent.

“In fact, during periods when prices are high due to a drop in supply, farmers who use these greenhouses win because they are able to reap higher revenues,” he was reported to have said.

In a statement on Tuesday (Sept 6), the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) forecast that the rainy season would continue for the next few months.

It said that several parts of the country should expect the rainy season to continue until mid-September.

It also cautioned that rain was likely to be expected in many parts of the country until February next year.

This is due to the annual northeast monsoon, which usually happens between October and March.