Letters

Establish mechanism, facilities to lessen impact of price hikes

LETTER: I was doing my weekend marketing at the Seremban wet market recently but was flabbergasted over the price hike of greens, fish and prawns.

Some of the items have nearly gone up by minimum 50 per cent, causing a headache to the common man, especially the B40 and even the M40 group, who are suffering from exorbitant prices despite handouts given by the government.

Some of the price hikes could be contributed to unscrupulous wholesale suppliers, with the Chinese New Year, around the corner, further pushing up prices by hoarders, the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown and bad weather the country is experiencing in the east coast.

The supply of vegetables and fish has reduced tremendously, thus pushing prices up due to higher demand than supply.

On Friday, at the Seremban wet market, 1kg of Tengggiri was RM35 (previously RM28); Senangin, RM28 (previously RM20); Kembong, RM18 (previously RM12); Selar, RM18 (previously RM12); Ikan Jenaha, RM28 (previously RM23); Chicken per kg RM9.50 (previously RM8); prawns, average size, RM65 (previously RM25); sawi, RM10 (previously RM6); Lady's Finger, RM10 (previously RM6); bitter gourd, RM9 (previously RM6); and Chim cabbage, RM8 (previously RM4). This is already having a telling effect on the poor and middle class people especially.

The Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority (FAMA), farmers' and growers' associations; consumer associations; and the public are clamouring for enforcement agencies to act against traders charging exorbitant prices for greens and fish by freezing their stock at wet markets across the country.

The price hikes are frustrating and the consumers are the victims in the supply chain.

I believe food inflation can be tackled. Our government may want to consider creating storage facilities, cold chains and also the required institutional reforms in agricultural marketing at the state and national level to lessen the impact of food price increase.

C. Sathasivam Sitheravellu

Seremban, Negri Sembilan


The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times

Most Popular
Related Article
Says Stories