Fruit wholesalers and importers in Singapore have noticed a drop in production of around 40 per cent in local green vegetables. Locally grown greens such as chye sim, spinach, and xiao bai cai have been affected by too much water and too little sun.
Malaysia has also been suffering similar weather issues with flooding, leading to a shortage of cucumbers, long beans, green beans, and bitter gourd.
The Straits Times reported that Mr Vincent Lee, vice-president of the Singapore Fruits and Vegetables Importers and Exporters Association said prices have gone up by 50-60 per cent this week but are expected to plateau again soon.
Mandarin orange prices are expected to go up by 10 to 30 per cent during the Chinese New Year period due to flood waters affecting harvest.
Jimmy Quek, chairman of the Singapore Tropical Fruit Importers and Exporters Association said that there has been a 20 per cent drop in fruit sales overall.
Steep price increases are currently being absorbed by wholesalers, who are reluctant to pass the cost on to consumers right away.
Retailers such as Sheng Siong, FairPrice, Giant, and Cold Storage are supplementing their needs by importing produce from China, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Ecuador and Mexico.
