Increasing sugarcane prices leave bad taste in the mouth
The Covid-19 pandemic disrupted everything from education to food production as countries around the world implemented precautionary measures.
Foreigners working in Malaysia packed up and returned to their home countries, crippling the local farms such as those growing sugarcanes.
Since sugarcane can take up to two years to grow before it is ready for harvest, the pandemic disruptions created a ripple effect that can now be felt at Marsiling Mall Hawker Centre.
The hawker centre at 4 Woodlands Street 12 used to have 18 stalls selling sugarcane juice. Today, there are only seven left.
Sixty-year-old hawker Chen told Shin Min Daily News the price of a box of sugarcane rose to $35 in early-2023. To keep up, she increased the prices of her drinks that contain sour plum.
A 20kg box of sugarcane cost between $20 and $30 before the pandemic.
"It's tough to do business. Despite soaring prices, we try not to pass the costs on to customers," said Ms Chen.
"The cost of sugarcane surged very quickly, and once costs rise, they won't fall," said another hawker, Ms Liu, who raised the cost of her sugarcane juice by 50 cents.
Woodlands Town Centre Merchants' Association chairman Chua Lay Sing said the hawkers of the stalls that shuttered gave up fighting the rising costs in recent years.
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