PRICES for some 20 types of vegetables will go up as the enhanced movement-control order (EMCO) in Cameron Highlands has shut down many farms, said farmers and wholesalers.

Farmers said the EMCO has made it impossible for them to tend to their farms in five Kg Raja areas, namely Sg Ikan, Blue Valley, Taman Matahari Cerah, Taman Desa Corina and Kg Baru.

The EMCO lasts until June 27.

They are now pleading with Putrajaya to allow workers who tested negative for Covid-19 to continue working the farms, which they said will ensure supply is not disrupted.

Cameron Highlands Vegetable Growers’ Association secretary Chay Ee Mong said many vegetable farmers applied for a lease to grow vegetables and flowers in Lojing, Kelantan, due to the limited land available in Cameron.

He said farmers could not travel now to the vegetable gardens in Lojing that grow crops such as tomatoes, Japanese cucumbers, chilli and capsicums.

“We negotiated with the police and estimated that 500 vegetable farmers and the daily supply of 560 tonnes of vegetables from Cameron to be affected. And the vegetable prices will naturally rise, which is inevitable.”

Cameron Highlands had previously reported a Flora Blue Valley Covid-19 workplace cluster, which recorded the first confirmed case from a foreign worker employed as a florist.

A total of 49 people in this infection group were screened and 22 found positive.

Chay said that Flora Blue Valley is the main road for transporting produce from Cameron Highlands to various regions.

“Now that roadblocks are set up, logistics are affected. Some 40% of Cameron’s vegetables are shipped to the Kuala Lumpur wholesale market in Selayang and other supermarkets.

“We are seeking assistance from the Transport Ministry to curb this problem because the loss per day is about RM1.3 million.”

He also said that the crops were planted with the drip irrigation method, which requires water to be distributed every day.

The crops would be destroyed in three days if farmers were not allowed into their farms to irrigate their farms.

“It takes four months for the harvesting of tomatoes after planting. If the entire tomato garden dies, there will be no supply of tomatoes for at least four months.

“Then there are 20 other types of crops, including pepper, capsicum, Japanese cucumbers, cabbage, and green beans, and leafy vegetables that would also be affected,” Chay said.

“We agree that the pandemic needs to be controlled, but does the government have an action plan after imposing the lockdown?”

Chay suggested that the authorities allow workers who tested negative for Covid-19 to work in the gardens.

He said vegetable farmers are willing to pay for Covid-19 screening for their workers.

Route detour

Kuala Lumpur Vegetables Wholesalers’ Association chairman Wong Keng Fatt agreed that the EMCO will lead to a price hike in vegetable prices.

“Tomatoes, cucumbers, choy sum and bok choy prices may rise above RM10.

“Before this, the price of vegetables rose in Cameron Highlands due to the shortage of foreign workers.

“Now that EMCO has been happening for 14 days, the consequences are far worse.”

He said that 40% of the vegetables in Kuala Lumpur’s wholesale market comes from Cameron Highlands.

“The vegetables from Lojing used to be transported via Simpang Pulai, Perak to various areas.

“Today, it takes a detour from Gua Musang in Kelantan to Raub in Pahang. It takes at least 10 hours to be delivered to the KL wholesale market.

“If Cameron’s vegetables cannot be shipped to the market, then we can only import vegetables and tomatoes from Thailand and China.”

He said that growing vegetables is not similar to that of a factory’s production.

“Vegetables need to be watered and fertilised every day. Has the government not considered that agriculture would be affected?” Wong asked.  – June 15, 2021.