KUALA LUMPUR: Prices of vegetables have become so high that consumers have stopped purchasing them, while restaurateurs are removing certain dishes from their menus.
Consumers' Association of Penang (CAP) education officer N.V. Subbarow said the association has received reports of extremely exorbitant prices of common vegetables such as 'kailan', chillies, lady's fingers and coriander leaves.
"The price (per kg) for coriander leaves is RM32, long beans is RM20.50, red chilly is RM20, mint leaves are RM11, Chinese celery leaves are RM25, and eggplants are RM20.50.
"Are consumers able to buy these? It is a question asked by them at the market and when they meet CAP officials," he told the New Straits Times today.
He said other types of vegetables were now too expensive, and it has impacted owners of eateries who prefer to do away with some popular vegetable dishes.
"Chilly prices are too hot for the consumers. Prices for common vegetables such as kai lan, bitter guard, long beans are also very high.
"Some food restaurant owners told the CAP that they are not going to cook brinjal curry because its sold RM20.50 per kg," he said.
Earlier this month, it was reported that the prices of several vegetables have skyrocketed by more than 160 per cent as compared to the previous month.
CAP has also been reporting about how vegetable prices have doubled in the past month.
It previously said the price of lady's fingers had gone up by 166 per cent from RM6 per kg last month to RM16 per kg this month.
Similarly, long beans had doubled in price from RM6 per kg to RM12 per kg, tomatoes from RM4.50 per kg to RM10 per kg (a 120 per cent increase), and eggplants from RM7 per kg to RM12 per kg (a 71 per cent increase).
CAP had previously said that several retailers, distributors and wholesalers had warned that prices of other vegetables might go up in the coming weeks.
On Feb 5, Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister Datuk Seri Salahuddin Ayub assured that the recent price hike in vegetables was only temporary and that it was caused by the flood season.
Farmers had also said that the bad weather since November last year has affected their harvest.
Among other things, the farmers said a lack of sunlight led to issues such as a reduced amount of harvest.