Mandarin oranges will cost more this year

The Kuala Lumpur Fruits Wholesale Association has confirmed that the price of mandarin oranges will be increasing especially in view of the Chinese New Year which is just around the corner.

Its secretary David Tey said customers can expect a price increase with a margin between 20 to 35 per cent this year compared to last year.

“This means, the wholesale price of a 4kg box of mandarin oranges will be RM12.00 while the wholesale price of a 8kg box of mandarin oranges will be RM24.00,” he told Astro AWANI.

Tey said the increase on the mandarin oranges is because of the increasing local demand in China and higher labour costs there.

“The standard of living in China is getting better and they can afford to buy mandarin oranges. They don’t really rely on exports now,” he said.

Tey said some customers opt not to buy mandarin oranges due to the high prices.

“Some importers have also cut down on the number of mandarin oranges that they import. Due to this, some customers have resorted to buying in bulk as they are afraid of shortages,” he explained.

Meanwhile, The Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (FOMCA) secretary-general Datuk Paul Selvaraj has advised those celebrating the Chinese New Year, to do so moderately.

“We know mandarin oranges are a culturally essential item for Chinese New Year. However, generally, spending needs to be within budget. Don’t overspend,” he said.

Paul also opined that there should be an open market to allow those who want to import mandarin oranges to do so.

“The Malaysian Competition Commission should review if there is a market to allow this,” he added.

Earlier, it was reported that mandarin oranges from China will be higher by 20 per cent to 60 per cent this year due to a shortage of supply, brought on by the drought in Fujian province from June to October last year.