Headline :Mandarin oranges to cost more

NST
Date :11/01/2005
Page :10
Byline :By Sim Bak Heng; R.S. Kamini
Type : News

JOHOR BARU, Mon. - Despite the abolition of the 10 per cent import duty on mandarin oranges, consumers may still have to pay more for them this year due to rising fuel prices.
Prices of two popular mandarin oranges, lokam and teochew, are up by 10 per cent this year despite the bountiful harvest in China.
Cheou Ah Lek, an importer and retailer in Taman Sri Tebrau here, said the quality of mandarin oranges this year is, however, better due to increased rainfall.
"Generally, the fruit this year is juicier and sweeter than previous years. In terms of pricing, consumers will have to pay from five to 10 per cent more due to higher transportation and labour costs."
Checks showed lokam, which come in five-kg packs, are priced at RM11 for medium sizes and RM12 and RM13 for large and extra large sizes respectively, an increase of RM1 to RM1.50 compared to last year.
Retailers said there was no standard packaging for lokam as some are packed according to weight.
Teochew mandarin oranges, which come in wooden crates of different sizes and are sold for between RM24 and RM28 per crate cost about RM1 more per crate than last year.
The fruits are from China, with lokam mainly grown in Zhangzhou and Wing Chun while teochew is produced in Swatow, all in the coastal Fujian province.
Lokam has a better appearance and is juicier than teochew mandarin oranges, which are usually smaller and have a rougher surface and a thicker skin.
Fruit seller Chee Lum Fah said he started selling lokam last month but the response was not good as the fruit from the first shipment was still green.
"Sales are picking up this week. The slight price increase this year should not deter people of all races from enjoying the fruit, which is very highly sought-after before and after the Chinese New Year every year," he said.
Checks at supermarkets and hypermarkets showed that the fruit is mainly sold loosely at between RM2.50 and RM3.50 per kilo.
Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (Fomca) adviser Prof Datuk Dr Hamdan Adnan said there was a small increase in fruit prices even at hypermarkets but said it was ridiculous to relate the fruit price increase to fuel increase.
"If the retailers say the increase in imported fruit price is due to the global fuel price increase, we might as well settle for local fruits."
He added that retailers were probably taking advantage of the coming Chinese New Year to sell fruits, especially mandarin oranges, at higher prices.
"Fruits are perishable items and not a necessity, so if consumers stop buying fruits for a while, the prices will automatically go down."
(END)