MALAYSIANS will just have to get used to paying more for their seafood because of the combination of high demand, low stocks and a weak ringgit, said wet market traders.

These factors have turned the ikan kembung (Indian mackerel) from a daily staple for low-income families to a weekly treat.

Unless the value of the ringgit strengthens against the US dollar and other regional currencies, fish, prawns and squid will continue to hover around RM12 per kg or more, said traders.

The high price of fish also led to consumers switching to chicken, they said.

But poultry traders said the higher demand for chicken has also pushed prices up while those selling beef said demand for the meat is steadily declining because of health concerns.

A The Malaysian Insight survey at two wet markets and one supermarket in the Klang Valley found that the lowest price for ikan kembung was RM14.99 per kg. This was at the Giant store in USJ, Subang Jaya on Sunday.

At the Port Klang wet market, a kilo of thawed kembung retailed at RM18 per kg while the fresh fish was RM20 per kg.

At the Dato Keramat market, thawed kembung fetched between RM14 and RM18 per kg, while the fresh fish was going at RM18 per kg. 

For RM18, retiree Mat Nazri Mat Din managed to only buy two pieces of ikan kembung and one ikan bulu ayam (moustached thryssa) at a wet market in Kuala Lumpur last week.

“The fish was just so expensive, I didn’t want to buy more. The Keramat wet market is so expensive these days,” said the retiree, 67, who had just finished his weekly shopping at the Dato Keramat wet market.

Fishmonger Syed Agis Syed Ahmad said paying more than RM14 per kg for ikan kembung will be the “new normal” if the ringgit does not improve.

“This is already been happening for the past two to three years. Because we have to buy our fish from outside the country, the prices will be affected by the value of our ringgit.

“And right now our ringgit is weak,” said Syed Agis, who has been selling fish at the Dato Keramat wet market for the past 30 years.

Higher chicken prices

According to the Statistic Department’s latest survey of grocery prices, in May, the average price for kembung was RM14.24 per kg. In Selangor, the average price was 15.05 per kg and RM16.32 per kg in Kuala Lumpur.

The cheapest kembung was in Sabah were it was being sold at RM8.08 per kg while the most expensive was in Terengganu – a fishing state – at RM18.11 per kg. 

Such prices are not a surprise to a veteran, such as Syed Agis, as most of the fish sold in Malaysia are caught overseas.

“Our fishermen don’t catch enough. Sometimes we can get from Perak or Perlis. But most of the time, it’s from Sabah, Indonesia and Thailand.”

Fishmonger Loong who operates at the Port Klang market, said the ringgit’s depreciation against the Thai baht has made kembung much more expensive than three years ago.

“Back then the one ringgit equalled 10 Thai baht. Now it’s one ringgit to 8 baht. This is why our fish is expensive.”  

Contractor Amri Ahmad, 37, said the high price of kembung has made him buy more chicken, although the fish itself has not disappeared entirely from his household’s menu.

“I still buy fish because we can’t just eat chicken and beef every day. Even though the price is high, I still buy the same amount.”

Poultry seller Johari Ramli said the switch to eating more meat has kept prices high despite its abundance in the country.   

“During the Raya season, the price was capped at RM5.99 per kg. But after the price control was over, prices have gone up from RM7.50 to RM8 per kg.”

Dressed chicken was sold at RM5.99 per kg at the USJ supermarket yesterday but Johari insisted that wet market shoppers are paying a premium.

“The chickens sold at the supermarket are frozen whereas ours as slaughtered daily. So it’s a very fresh product.” – July 21, 2019.