KOTA BARU: The cancellation of Ramadan bazaar throughout the state following the increase of Covid-19 cases, has forced traders to find alternative ways to sell their product.
Coconut trader, Zahari Awang from Kampung Sri Kulim, Melor, here, said he had to sell over 500 coconuts below their retail price of RM1.80 each, just to cover the cost of capital.
The 65-year-old trader said he bought the coconut for RM1 each, excluding the cost of climbing the trees and plucking the fruits.
Zahari said the coconuts had been previously ordered by traders at the Melor Ramadan Bazaar, but upon being informed of the cancellation of the bazaar, they decided not proceed with the purchase.
"I was shocked with what had happened, but my daughter Nurulhuda, 33, and son-in-law Muhammad Imran Hashim, 31, came out with the idea of selling the coconuts at the cost of capital without taking any profit.
"I decided to sell the coconut at RM1.50 each to a coconut milk supplier in the village. As of yesterday, 300 have been sold," he told Bernama, here, today.
Redzuan Yaacob, 40, from Kubang Kerian, who sells carbonated drinks, said he had spent RM25,000 to buy the stock, to be sold at two Ramadan bazaar sites, namely at the Sultan Mohamad V Stadium and in Kubang Kerian.
"The stocks arrived four days ago, now I am thinking of the best way to sell them, looking for a new location or selling them online," said the father of four.
Yesterday, the Kelantan government announced an allocation of RM1.5 million to be distributed soon to 2500 affected Ramadan bazaar traders, who are registered with the local authorities.
Kelantan decided to cancel Ramadan bazaar just days before the start of Ramadan, due to a drastic increase of Covid-19 cases in the state. – Bernama