PETALING JAYA : Malaysians may have to pay more for their greens if the monsoon season continues to bring persistent rainfall, says the Malaysian Federation of Vegetable Farmers Association. Its president Lim Ser Kwee said recent flooding in several countries, including Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia had begun to push up prices of vegetables. “We import a large variety of vegetables from these three countries and the prices have increased recently due to the recent massive flooding there. “Also affected is the supply from China due to recent cold snaps affecting harvest,” he said when contacted yesterday. On the local front, Lim said while Cameron Highlands and several parts of the country may have escaped the recent floods, cloudy skies had also affected crop yields. “Luckily, Cameron Highlands and states such as Johor, Pahang and Melaka were not hit by heavy downpours and floods. “But the lack of sunshine affected the growing and maturing cycles of vegetables such as sawi bunga (Chinese flowering cabbage) and tomatoes,” he said. He cited the prices of tomatoes, which have increased to over RM5 per kg as compared to RM2 and RM4 per kg previously. It was also reported that prices of some local and imported vegetables had increased by between RM5 and RM8 per kg recently. Lim said the situation would worsen if states such as Johor and Pahang are hit with persistent rainfall during the monsoon. He added that the federation, which has over 6,000 members nationwide, has yet to determine the actual losses. “We have had reports of losses but so far, our members in Penang were not too badly affected.” According to the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia), the northeast monsoon will continue until March next year, bringing five to seven episodes of heavy rain, which could cause floods in low-lying and riverine areas. Last Thursday, MetMalaysia issued a warning for continuous heavy rain and strong winds over a large swathe of Peninsular Malaysia due to the development of the rare tropical storm Senyar in the Strait of Malacca. Cameron Highlands Vegetable Farmers Organisation president Datuk Chai Kok Lim said that vegetable farms in the highlands were not affected by recent floods. “It did not disrupt farming operations here and fortunately, the weather has been sunny over the past few days. “We hope that it remains this way but there is a fear that the monsoon will bring heavy rain again,” he said, adding that there were about 2,000 farmers in Cameron Highlands. Meanwhile, the Agriculture and Food Security Ministry has activated its disaster operation room to assist farmers, planters, livestock owners and fishermen affected by floods in several states. It was activated on Nov 28, following MetMalaysia’s forecasts for the current monsoon season.
5天前
ALOR SETAR: More than 1,006 Malaysians have been evacuated as the relief teams from Malaysia were able to reach Central Festival Mall in Hatyai today as water levels were receding. The chairman of Sungai Petani volunteer fire brigade team Raymond Leong, who is currently in Hatyai, Thailand, posted on Facebook urging Malaysians stranded in Hatyai to find their ways to Central Festival mall as the relief teams would be picking them up at the area to head home. Leong managed to enter the city under water with eight rescue boats, five jet skies, several trucks and lorries loaded with supplies. With water levels receding in parts of Hatyai, the team is racing against time to deliver essential goods and prioritise the evacuation of high-risk groups such as the elderly, women, and children. Leong urged the public not to make unnecessary calls unless there is an emergency, as calls would drain rescue resources. “Four rescue team phones were damaged beyond use after being submerged in water during operations. Still, team members remain steadfast, declaring that they will not retreat until every Malaysian is brought home,’’ he said. Some stranded individuals have refused evacuation because they were waiting for relatives or were unwilling to leave their luggage behind. As rescue boat space is limited and the principle of “saving lives first” must be upheld, large amounts of luggage cannot be taken onboard—causing some delays in the overall rescue efforts. Outside the Central Festival mall, anxious Malaysian tourists were visibly relieved and excited upon seeing the rescue team arrive. Adults expressed joy at finally being able to return home, while some children appeared tired from the long wait. As of yesterday, the Malaysian rescue team had successfully evacuated 786 Malaysians. This morning, another three lorries transported an additional 220 people to safer areas.
1星期前
ALOR SETAR: About 500 Malaysians are evacuated from Hatyai as of this afternoon. Raymond Leong, chairman of the Sungai Petani Volunteer Fire and Rescue unit, said the team rescued 186 Malaysian tourists on Monday and 300 at 3p, today. Leong’s team had initially planned to reach Central Festival Mall in Hatyai at 10am but rising floodwaters, strong currents and severed roads temporarily halted the mission. More than 1,000 Malaysians are believed to be stranded in Hatyai due to floods while eight rescue teams from Malaysia are in Danok and other parts of Songkla, working with local rescue teams. Leong posted on Facebook that the teams were buying food from hypermarket in a live telecast to handover to local rescue teams. Ongoing search and rescue operations had stopped due to rising flood waters. Advised by the Thai rescue team, the Malaysian rescue teams were stationed at Danok as they were unfamiliar with the area and the water levels were high with strong currents. The Malaysian teams received many calls from Malaysians stranded in Hatyai but unable to help due to the rising waters which had cut off many roads leading to Hatyai. One of the many calls that Leong received was a 90-year-old Malaysian asking for help as the caller was with two other senior citizens. Leong explained that rising floodwaters made search-and-rescue operations increasingly difficult. Many stranded individuals have lost contact with the outside world due to dead phone batteries and disrupted communication networks, leaving them desperately in need of aid. He added that the rescue team itself is grappling with severe shortages of equipment and supplies—rescue boats have capsized, lorries’ engines have been damaged, and team members’ phones have stopped working, drastically limiting their operational capacity. “Those trapped urgently need food, medical aid, and emergency evacuation. Although Thai rescue teams have stepped in to help, swift currents, harsh weather, and limited accessibility mean only a few people can be rescued at a time, he said. Leong also noted that certain areas have been declared emergency zones, and rescue teams are prohibited from entering without official authorization, further complicating rescue efforts. “Poor communication and a flood of distress messages are overwhelming us. We’re unable to respond to every plea or locate those who’ve gone missing again due to signal or power outages.” Expressing deep regret and helplessness toward the stranded Malaysians, Leong emphasised that rescue personnel are doing everything humanly possible. Another rescuer, Mohamad Amir, added that among the stranded are elderly people, children, pregnant women, infants, and individuals with chronic illnesses—one pregnant woman is on the verge of giving birth. Clean drinking water and hygiene supplies are scarce, and several people have already developed skin infections and allergic reactions. “Boats are capsizing, tow trucks are overloaded—it’s like evacuating people in a sardine can. Waterways are unpredictable, and vehicles can’t reach some areas at all,” he said. He stressed the urgent need for more supplies, including food, medicine, clean water, as well as larger-capacity boats, tow trucks, and four-wheel-drive vehicles […]
2星期前
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