THE rainy weather in the last couple of weeks has resulted in a slight increase in vegetable prices, farmers said.

They said the prices certain vegetables have gone up by 10%, but believed the rise is temporary.

They also warned that prices could still go up if the wet season continues.

Cheng Nan Hong, deputy president of the Cameron Highlands Chinese Farmers Association, said the rain will have an impact on vegetables grown outdoors, such as spring onion, coriander and cabbage.

“When the harvest decreases but demand is high, prices will go up naturally,” he said.

Cheng said the wet weather is not great for farmers as vegetables take longer to grow from the lack of sunlight.

“This means that the harvest will be delayed and that pushes prices up further.

“We can’t say how long the rain will last, but the longer this weather continues, the more consumers will have to pay for vegetables, as much as 30% more.”

Chay Ee Mong, secretary of the Cameron Highlands Vegetable Growers Association, said if rainfall continues to be high, it will have an impact on vegetable prices.

“Beans and gourds are particularly sensitive to the weather. If the weather improves, then our harvest will be back to normal and the supply problem is only for the short-term.”

Wong Keng Fatt, president of the Kuala Lumpur Vegetable Wholesaler Association, said the current weather does not mark the beginning of the monsoon, which typically occurs from November to January.

“The rain is sporadic, so the supply hasn’t been drastically affected. Prices have increased only by 10%,” Wong said.

“For example, 1kg of green chilli used to cost RM9, now it is RM10; choy sum went from RM3 to RM4; while cabbage also increased by RM1, it now costs RM5.”

However, the current prices are still higher compared with the same period last year, Wong said.

“In November, prices will go up exorbitantly, by 30-60%.”

Prices are also fluctuating due to a lack of manpower, which leads to a lower output, he added. – September 5, 2022.