ALOR STAR: The Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority (Fama) has brushed off claims that the price of vegetables, fruits and fish in Penang rose by 300 per cent following the arrival of the monsoon season recently.
Its chairman Tan Sri Badruddin Amiruldin said the claim, made by the Consumers' Association of Penang (CAP) in a recently-issued statement, is inaccurate.
He said based on information gathered by Fama, there has indeed been a spike in prices of the two items – but only by around 100 per cent, and costs are expected to return to normal soon.
“The price increase is due to logistical factors as the supplies have to now be obtained from other states, as some stored supplies were destroyed in the recent floods," he said at a press conference after the opening of the Northern region Fama Entrepreneurship Course at the TH Hotel here.
The event was attended by 33 business grant recipients from Perlis, Kedah and Penang.
It was reported that the CAP had urged the Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Ministry and Fama to take swift action to control the price of vegetables, fish and fruits which it claimed had increased by up to 300 per cent within a week.
On another note, Badruddin assured consumers that there will be no shortage of fresh produce at Fama's markets or outlets.
He said that Fama, through the Agriculture and Agro-based Ministry, has a Food Supply Stock Scheme which will ensure sufficient food supply at its 2,000 outlets nationwide.
Translated from Berita Harian