Price of ‘santan’ soars to RM20 per kg as coconut costs crack wallets, traders say
Freshly cut coconut halves stored in crates in Semenyih. The local coconut supply shortage continues to impact the market. January 16, 2025. — Picture by Raymond Manuel
Monday, 17 Feb 2025 4:59 PM MYT
KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 17 — The rising cost of imported coconuts from Indonesia since last year has forced traders to increase the price of santan (coconut milk) to as much as RM20 per kilogramme.
The drastic move was necessary to avoid losses, even as traders faced a drop in sales with more consumers opting for packaged coconut milk instead of fresh coconut milk.
Coconut trader Mohd Fadzli Hamzah, 48, said coconut milk prices started increasing in November last year.
“The price of coconut milk used to be around RM16 per kilogramme. Since the price went up, I have had to raise my prices because suppliers are charging more,” he said when speaking to Harian Metro yesterday in Kuantan.
“Since the price of coconut milk has increased by up to 50 per cent, some customers have stopped coming to get their supply because it is too costly.
“There have been times when I had to show my purchase receipts to customers to prove that coconut prices from suppliers had gone up. Almost 100 per cent of the coconut supply is imported from Indonesia.
“Some say the limited local coconut supply due to the ‘musim lawas’ is also a factor, causing prices to rise uncontrollably,” he said, referring to the seasonal dry spell that typically occurs once a year between March and July.
Coconut yields are affected when the weather becomes too hot during this season.
Mohd Fadzli, who runs the business with his wife Azizah Ibrahim, 46, said some traders in the district had to shut down because they could no longer bear the continuous losses.
Freshly packed coconut milk and grated coconut displayed for sale at a market in Semenyih January 16, 2025. The rising price of coconut milk has also led to higher food prices, especially for traditional delicacies. — Picture by Raymond Manuel
The rising price of coconut milk has also led to higher food prices, especially for traditional delicacies.
Azizah said she expects food prices, including kuih, to increase during Ramadan and Aidilfitri.
“This time, the price increase happened so fast. In the morning, it was one price, but by the afternoon, it had gone up. Because of this, many of my customers could not believe it,” she said.
“I am concerned about Malay traders who sell food like ketupat, rendang, lemang or nasi lemak, which require a lot of coconut milk.”
The Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority (Fama) yesterday assured that coconut supply will be adequate during Ramadan in the peninsula, following intervention measures taken to address the issue.
Fama Deputy Director-General (Food Security and Operations) Shahrizan Sudiman said these measures include securing approximately 640 tonnes of supply per month from Indonesia as well as Sabah and Sarawak.
Recommended reading:
No comments:
Post a Comment