GEORGE TOWN, Penang – Amid the scorching heatwave in Malaysia, while most people are feeling the burn, local vegetable and fish farmers are thriving under the sun.
Instead of withering crops and dwindling supplies, the prolonged dry spell is actually boosting their yields.
At the bustling wet markets, vendors are all smiles as they enjoy stable or even dropping prices from wholesalers.
Batu Lanchang market vegetable seller S. Gayathiri, 32, said: “Cheaper vegetables means better income for us and the chance to offer attractive prices to customers.
“When it is expensive, demand drops and when customers buy less, we have total loss when the vegetables spoil.
“Now things are good, although some people are still unaware that vegetables are cheap.”
She said tomatoes were RM8 (S$2.30) a kg during the Chinese New Year holiday, but are now half the price at RM4.
“Chilli was RM20 to RM22 per kg; they are now RM14. Cucumbers and sawi (choy sum) are both RM4 per kg now. Before, they were RM6 per kg,” she said.
Federation of Vegetable Sellers Associations president Lee Kha Shiuann said that instead of badly affecting crops, the plentiful sunlight helps crops grow at their best.
“Farmers know how to irrigate and supply water to the fields. If there were an all-out drought and farmers find it hard to find water, then it would be a different story.
“However, now the yield is great, and nationwide, locally grown vegetables are cheap,” he said, adding that in the absence of rain, pests like aphids and mealybugs also do not do well and that adds to the tonnage of each harvest.
On the seafood front, fishmonger Ong Chong Way, 37, who has been in the business for 21 years, said there was an ample supply of all types of local fish, squid and prawns sourced from nearby farms and fishermen.
“The prices are stable and have been the same for a while as there is plenty of supply, especially now that Chinese New Year has passed.
“Fish, especially barramundi, are RM10 or RM11 each. We are selling squid at RM18 for 500g and prawns at between RM18 and RM35 for 500g, depending on the size and species,” he said, adding that fishmongers did not expect prices to go up for some months yet.
For fish farmers, the heatwave is a delight, especially for the 100-odd floating fish farms visible to the left of the second Penang bridge as one drives towards Penang island.
These farms collectively breed more than 40,000 tonnes of saltwater fish a year and their fish go to nearly every market, supermarket and seafood restaurant in the Malaysian peninsula.
Sungai Udang Caged Fish Farmers Association chairman Tioh Tiang Lai said the hotter the weather, the better it is for the fish farmers.
“When there are storms, we have sleepless nights because we fear the turbulent sea may damage the cages, and in the morning we have to contend with the gunk that flows out of rivers and towards our floating farms,” he said.
“The rubbish and mud wash-off will irritate the fish and clog up the netting of the cages, disrupting the flow of water through them
“The heat is great for us especially during March and April. In January and February, the tides were low, which reduced the oxygen for the fish, but now, it will be fine.”
Mr Tioh said the fish farmers farm warm-water fish which inhabit shallower, warmer waters, and the fish stock is thriving in the current climate.
He added that the 110 fish farmers in Penang cater only to the local market, so it is expected that prices will remain the same and there will be ample supply for the time being. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
