Traders are forced to raise the price of garlic due to depleting supply from flood-stricken China, said Domestic Trade, Cooperative and Consumerism Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.
He said the situation could not be prevented and controlled by the government as bad weather had affected garlic production in China.
"The government could not make a hasty decision by getting fresh garlic supply from other countries as it entailed long-term contracts between importers and producers," he told reporters after visiting the Precinct 2 Ramadan Bazaar here Thursday.
It was reported that the retail price of a kg of garlic was almost RM10 a kg while higher grade garlic reportedly even cost more than RM10 and prices varies according to location.
The wholesale price for garlic, which used to be between RM3 and RM3.50 per kilo, has shot up to RM8.50 per kilo.
Meanwhile, Ismail Sabri said food and drink prices at Ramadan Bazaars in Putrajaya and Section 17 Petaling Jaya, which he had visited yesterday, remained unchanged despite sugar price went up by 25 sen a kg last month.
"Chicken prices in Putrajaya are still reasonable. The public worries of price hike during the festive season were unfounded," he added.
He said the situation could not be prevented and controlled by the government as bad weather had affected garlic production in China.
"The government could not make a hasty decision by getting fresh garlic supply from other countries as it entailed long-term contracts between importers and producers," he told reporters after visiting the Precinct 2 Ramadan Bazaar here Thursday.
It was reported that the retail price of a kg of garlic was almost RM10 a kg while higher grade garlic reportedly even cost more than RM10 and prices varies according to location.
The wholesale price for garlic, which used to be between RM3 and RM3.50 per kilo, has shot up to RM8.50 per kilo.
Meanwhile, Ismail Sabri said food and drink prices at Ramadan Bazaars in Putrajaya and Section 17 Petaling Jaya, which he had visited yesterday, remained unchanged despite sugar price went up by 25 sen a kg last month.
"Chicken prices in Putrajaya are still reasonable. The public worries of price hike during the festive season were unfounded," he added.
