Malaysia: More than 48,000 people evacuated due to floods
More than 48,000 people from six Malaysian states have been sheltering in some 400 relief centres on Friday. These people were there to escape the rising floodwaters as monsoon rain continued to come down. The number of evacuees have more than doubled from 20,575 people reported on Wednesday morning.
Malaysia’s flood crisis, which is into its third month, has sent vegetable prices soaring. Federation of Malaysian Vegetable Farmers Association president Lim Ser Kwee said the prices of vegetables have gone up as the bad weather has affected output. “There has been no sun for one week, and rain for three to four days. So the vegetables can’t grow,” Mr Lim told
JOHOR BARU: Farmers in Sengkang Batu 18 near Bukit Gambir say vegetable production is expected to drop by 15% by the end of December if the weather remains as damp as November.
Tan Chee Kiong, secretary of a group of farmers there, said vegetable production in October was 170 tonnes and 160 tonnes in November.
“I expect it to see a further drop if the rainy season continues. The cost to produce vegetables remains the same as the price of fertilisers and soil has not increased.
“However, we are unable to sell some of our produce as it turned bad due to the weather,” he said.
Vegetables and livestock: So Tiok (left) and Chee Hee.
PETALING JAYA: The longer than usual rainy spell has caused the price of vegetables to soar, in some cases by over 100%, it was revealed.
Federation of Malaysian Vegetable Farmers Association adviser Tan So Tiok said the wet weather started about a month earlier than usual.
He said the problem was further compounded by the lack of farmhands due to the closed border.
“Many of our foreign workers returned to their countries in February and haven’t been able to come back since.
“With no farmhands and more rain, farmers have no choice but to slash production, ” he said, adding that prices of both local and imported vegetables have gone up by 30% to over 100% since two months ago.