KUALA LUMPUR: Vegetable farmers' associations have hit out at Mydin managing director (MD) Ameer Ali Mydin over his remark suggesting that the industry is using the lack of foreign workers to justify price hikes.
Penang Vegetable Farmers Association deputy chairman Ibrahim Roslam said the agricultural industry desperately needs workers, warning that the public feels its repercussions.
"We cannot accept Ameer's statement. The shortage of workers has a detrimental impact on farmers and consumers, who ultimately bear the consequences.
"Decreased supply inevitably leads to increased prices," he told Free Malaysia Today (FMT).
Ameer was quoted urging vegetable farmers to "stop making excuses" to justify a price increase.
Despite warnings of a potential 40 per cent drop in vegetable supply due to escalating costs and a labour crisis, he downplayed the significance of the labour shortage, pointing to the past influx of foreign workers into the country.
However, Ibrahim countered, emphasising that the labour shortage only partially dictated the situation.
He said weather conditions and seed supply substantially impacted the declining production.
"When vegetable prices increase, farmers are blamed, yet we depend on weather conditions and seeds. If crops fail, we can do nothing, and the market is left without produce."
Meanwhile, the Malaysian Federation of Vegetable Farmers Association president, Lim Ser Kwee, cautioned that many foreign workers might choose to leave Malaysia after visiting their home countries for Eid next month.
He said this situation could lead to an even more significant problem, especially if the government decides to halt the intake of foreign workers.
"For example, if we have a quota of 30 per cent but only 10 per cent return to Malaysia after the March 31 deadline passes, then the quota is closed – no more workers can enter.
"To apply for the quota again, we must wait another year; applying for that is not straightforward," he said.
Lim was referring to the announcement made earlier this month by the Home Ministry, saying that active foreign worker quotas would be invalid if calling visas, also known as visas with reference, were not issued by March 31.
Additionally, Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said that from June 1, Putrajaya would no longer permit the entry of foreign workers into the country under these active quotas. Employers who had paid the levy for the scrapped quotas would be refunded.