CAP claims some veggie prices up by 160%, wants govt probe into profiteers

KUALA LUMPUR – Vegetable prices have gone up by as much as 160% in the past month, according to the Consumers’ Association of Penang (CAP).

Urging the relevant authorities to take action, CAP in a statement provided a list of fresh vegetables it claimed had increased by that amount.

It said ladies’ fingers (bendi) had increased from RM6 previously to RM16 as the “new price”, a hike of 166%.

CAP, however, did not specify the weight of the produce for the prices it listed, nor if they were for wholesale or retail.

For long beans, it said the price had increased from RM6 to RM12, while tomatoes went up from RM4.50 to RM10.

Beans, which CAP did not specify as to which type, had gone up from RM6 to RM12, while eggplant rose from RM7 to RM12.

“Several retailers complained that distributors and wholesalers have warned them that prices of other vegetables may go up in the coming weeks,” CAP president Mohideen Abdul Kader said.

“We call on the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry and the Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority to take immediate steps to bring down the price of vegetables, which has increased up to 160% in the past one month.”

It added that the ministry’s enforcement division must investigate the price increases and use the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act 2010 against errant traders, or people will be affected.

CAP also called for changes to the marketing and distribution systems for fresh vegetables so that middlemen who profit excessively can be eliminated.

In December, Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister Datuk Seri Salahuddin Ayub said the ministry had received reports of pricey vegetables, attributed to short supply due to year-end flooding in several states. – The Vibes, February 2, 2023