WILTING from millions in losses due to the movement control order, flower growers have turned their hand to vegetable farming to make ends meet.

Cameron Highlands Floriculturists Association president Lee Peng Fo told The Malaysian Insight that the members were slowly converting their land to grow vegetables to be sold in the markets.

The competition is not taken kindly by the vegetable farmers of Cameron Highlands who said a surplus of green produce would drive prices down.

Lee assured these farmers that the floriculturists, having invested much money, time and effort their flower farms, are unlikely to fully switch over to growing vegetable.

Flowers from Cameron Highlands are exported to Japan, Thailand, Singapore, China, Australia, Hong Kong and Taiwan in an industry which is worth RM500 million annually, said Lee.

But profits have been scuppered by the Covid-19 pandemic and the consequent MCO which has so far caused the industry to lose RM100 million.

“Some 20% affected floriculturists in Cameron Highlands have now allotted 70% of their land to cultivate vegetables,” Lee told The Malaysian Insight.

“They have started growing leafy greens which can be harvested in a short time.”

The Cameron Highlands Vegetable Growers Association, however, fear supply would exceed demand with the floriculturists’ contribution.

“Nine bottles and 11 caps” was how association secretary Chay Ee Mong described the surfeit.

Chay told The Malaysian Insight that vegetable farmers have already had to reduce their output by 30% because of excessive supply.

“Vegetables are not like chicken. Consumers can buy fresh chicken and store it in a freezer for days.

“The shelf life of vegetables is very short. In addition, Malaysian consumers are used to buying fresh vegetables instead of frozen,” he said.

Chay is also worried that the price of vegetables will fall if there is a surplus.

Federation of Malaysian Vegetable Farmers’ Association chairman Tan So Tiok said flower farmers will be ready to sell their vegetable crops later this month.

Floriculturists prefer to grow leafy vegetables which are ready for harvest in a shorter time compared to tomatoes and peppers, he said.

“There will then be an oversupply of leafy greens, which would affect the income of both the original vegetable farmers and the floriculturists,” said Tan.

The barring of interstate travel due to the pandemic has also caught vegetable farmers off guard, causing them to discard their stock.

Cameron Highlands vegetable farmers suffered another blow when the Kuala Lumpur wholesale market in Selayang was shuttered after workers there were infected.

Best chrysanthemum in the world

Locals go to Cameron Highlands for its many varieties of roses but its chrysanthemums are a hit overseas.

About 97% of flowers cultivated in Cameron Highlands are exported to 18 countries.

Lee told The Malaysian Insight Malaysian chrysanthemums are of the best quality in the world.

“The chrysanthemum cultivated by Cameron Highland farmers is of a Dutch variety. It was introduced and cultivated many years ago. Now it has stood on the world stage and exported to Japan, Thailand, Singapore, Hong Kong and the Middle East,” Lee said.

“Chrysanthemums usually take four months to harvest.”

Demand for flowers has dropped sharply due to the Covid-19 and export markets, especially Japan and Thailand, have also been affected.

The MCO was enforced on March 18 to curb the spread of the virus that has so far infected more than 6,500 people and killed 107.

Vietnam has managed to contain the coronavirus outbreak and the flowers produced there are cheaper than those grown in Malaysia.

Lee is concerned that Malaysia may lose its export market share to Vietnam.

He said the cost remains high for flower growers while profits are low.

“We have imported varieties from foreign countries for many years. The quality of our chrysanthemum is now well-known,” Lee added. – May 9, 2020.