WHY VEGETABLE PRICE INCREASING

An article from NST reporter in Kuala Lumpur claim that in the past month his weekly grocery shopping at the market has been frustrating. He certainly feel the pinch of escalating prices. The price hike is attributed to limited supply due to lower domestic production as a result of unfavorable weather, pricier inputs, higher transportation costs, manpower shortages and higher import costs. Indeed, the skyrocketing prices of vegetables of up to 200 per cent is worrying, on the back of rising prices of chicken and eggs, which contribute to a higher cost of living.  The possibility of vegetable prices remaining high until after the Chinese New Year holidays will lead to growing food insecurity. Food insecurity is also a cause of malnutrition. The pandemic has caused the number of undernourished in Malaysia to continue to rise, especially among vulnerable households. Affected groups include the Orang Asli, low-income and welfare-recipient households, and the elderly. Even before the pandemic, Malaysia has been one of the few Asian countries facing three forms of malnutrition such as obesity, stunting and anaemia. In February this year, the deputy education minister stated that 25 per cent of children in Malaysia were either underweight or stunted because of poor dietary habits, while another 20 per cent were overweight or obese due to inappropriate dietary choices. They hail from low-income families, who have difficulties obtaining quality food. This article in "Anim Agriculture Technology' rewrite the report from NST regarding why the vegetable price increasing issue in Malaysia.

The substantial prevalence of malnutrition among children can lead to lifelong economic consequences, including impaired learning potential, compromised labour productivity and higher medical expenses, which reinforce a vicious cycle of intergenerational inequality. In other words, the vulnerable groups will be caught in the poverty-nutrition trap. As such, short- and long-term measures are needed to boost food security to address nutritional inequality. Malaysia needs to take concrete steps to promote nutritious and safe foods at reasonable prices for normal growth and the development of an active and healthy life. In addition to immediate term price monitoring efforts such as Op Pasar, which aims to prevent profiteering at every level of the distribution network, we need to create greater consumer awareness and an efficient market information system. Besides that, market failures such as the existence of cartels, the lack of competition and hoarding need to be tackled. Furthermore, import duties and tariffs on consumable items and intermediate inputs used in agricultural production should be reduced to lower input costs. In the medium to long term, we need to build a sustainable and resilient agrifood sector against future shocks, including poor weather, to prevent disruption in production. This can be done through increased investments in agricultural innovation and research and development for greater productivity. All in all, we need to prioritise food security and the availability of nutritious food at reasonable prices as we seek to grow a healthier society. There are no two ways about it. How are we going to achieve the goal of a healthier Keluarga Malaysia if prices of vegetables remain sky-high?. Thanks..

By,

M Anem,

Malacca,

Malaysia.

(Febuary 2022).