Lian Cheong/Sara Grosse Channel NewsAsia 4 Apr 11;
SINGAPORE: Floods in southern Thailand have made it more expensive for businesses to import fish and vegetables into Singapore.
Vegetable importers said that there has been a delay in their supply due to heavy rains which affect transportation.
This is why, for every 15kg of vegetables brought in, the price has increased by S$2.
Transport woes have also affected the supply of popular fish and fish-based products.
Some importers said that the prices of such fish have doubled.
Lee Boon Cheow, President of the Singapore Fish Merchant's General Association, said: "From S$3-4 a kilo of our wholesale up to S$6-7. So we expect when the weather is better or the flood is over, the price will go back as normal."
-CNA/ac
Vegetable and fruit supply to Singapore affected
Prices up in wet markets but supermarkets ensure supply at old prices
Ng Kai Ling Straits Times 7 Apr 11;
THE floods in the south of Thailand have affected the supply of vegetables and fruit to Singapore, causing prices to rise about 20 per cent in wet markets and delaying delivery.
Importers told The Straits Times that the prices of young corn and Chinese parsley from Thailand have risen and orders of fruit have not arrived on schedule.
'It's mango season and we were supposed to have a batch coming in from Thailand on Tuesday but it did not arrive,' said a spokesman for fruit importer and distributor Heng Teck Huat Fruits.
At wet markets, Chinese parsley for example is going for up to $8 per kg. It used to cost between $6 and $7.
Vegetable importers at Pasir Panjang Wholesale Centre said that they import vegetables such as young corn, yam, chives and Chinese parsley mostly from Thailand.
Leafy greens such as cai xin and kai lan usually come from Malaysia.
Heavy rain hit southern Thailand last month, which led to severe flooding and mudslides in Nakhon Si Thammarat and Krabi provinces.
So far, more than 50 people have died and close to two million people have been affected.
Importers said that whenever there is a flood in a country that supplies Singapore, prices go up. To ensure a steady supply, they look to other countries like Malaysia and China to make up for the shortfall.
The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) said Singapore imports vegetables from 39 countries, with the largest suppliers being Malaysia, China and India. The three account for 86 per cent of vegetables here.
Last year, vegetable imports from Thailand added up to 3 per cent or 13,300 tonnes.
Importers such as Mr Rat Ang said that customers prefer produce such as Chinese parsley and mangoes from Thailand because they taste better than those from China or Malaysia.
Over at the supermarkets, supply is being kept stable as they source from different countries. They have not passed on any price increase to customers.
Cold Storage, which sells mangoes and durians from Thailand, also stocks the same fruits from India and Malaysia respectively.
'Supply of these fruits has been affected by the flood but the impact is minimal for Cold Storage as these account for less than 5 per cent of our range,' said a spokesman for the 50-outlet chain. He added that the stores still have existing stocks of these Thai fruits.
NTUC FairPrice also assured consumers that they can still get their favourite greens at the same price.
Mrs Mui-Kok Kah Wei, the supermarket chain's director of purchasing, merchandising and international trading, said it is anticipating a smaller supply of mini- cucumbers from Thailand and even though it imports corn from the country, consumers can still buy those from the northern part of Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia.
'We assure our customers that in the event that our suppliers choose to increase their prices, we will check to ensure that the increase is reasonable,' said Mrs Mui-Kok.
Meanwhile, consumers are not too worried.
Mr Norman Chew, 62, who shops for his family weekly at supermarkets and wet markets, said: 'The prices of vegetables like cai xin and cabbage, which we eat more often, are not affected, so it's okay.'
