Concerned about expensive vegetables? Why not do something about it…
Blog reader Anthony Louis comments from afar:
Hello Malaysians,
I live in Germany. You guys will be surprised how many people grow their own veges in their homes and then share them with their neighbours.
These days, those who go to the market often complain about the high prices of foodstuff including vegetables. It’s the stuff that many household heads talk about, especially the working class. How on earth to make ends meet…
We are now forced to rely on vegetables from Cameron Highlands, transported by lorries to various markets in towns and cities in the peninsula.
But it wasn’t always like this. In Penang for instance, until the 1980s, large quantities of vegetables were grown on the island. Vegetable farms in Thean Teik supplied close to eight tonnes of vegetables daily and lots of fruit to meet a huge portion of the needs of Penangites. There were other vegetable farms, notably in the Tanjong Tokong area.
But then, our city planners and the BN-led administration, in their wisdom, allowed developers and land trustees to kick out these farmers to make way for “development”. In the Thean Teik case, it led to a bitter confrontation, which the farmers lost.
Some development. Now, we have to get our vegetables from elsewhere. Factor in higher transport cost, higher demand, the rising cost of chemical pesticides and fertilisers and fewer urban vegetable farms, and it’s no wonder vegetable prices are rising.
The argument was that land in Penang was scarce and the farmers had to make way for development.
So looking at the issue from this perspective, I am bewildered that the Pakatan state government is rejoicing because Korean “investors” are planning a US$100 million golf course in Batu Kawan in Penang – a state which cannot find land to grow enough vegetables to feed its population.
