Prices soar as monsoon hits vegetable farms

The year-end monsoon season has affected the production of vegetables in Cameron Highlands, causing prices to soar by as much as 50%, say farmers.

Cameron Highlands Vegetable Growers Association secretary Chay Ee Mong said low pollination, photosynthesis and temperatures had affected the production of vegetables.

It has been raining in the highland over the last few days, and such weather usually creates a prolonged impact on vegetable production.

“Most times it is cloudy, and the low production has caused the price of some vegetables to increase.

“Depending on the types of vegetables, the price increase is easily between 30% and 50% more,” Chay said when contacted.

He said the vegetables expected to see a price hike were tomatoes, cucumbers, chillies, beans, capsicum and selected leafy vegetables.

However, he said consumers could choose 80 other types of leafy vegetables that were still priced low, such as spinach and cabbage or pak choy.

“But for tomatoes, cucumbers and chillies, there is no substitute and their price increase is inevitable as plant growth is slow,” he added.

He said vegetable production would usually return to normal by the end of January once the weather settled.

Chay also said that the farmers were still affected by a labour shortage and hoped that the authorities would look into the problem soon.