IPOH: Farmers and wholesalers resort to dumping the greens due to a bumper harvest on weak market demand during the Muslim fasting month.

Farmers and wholesalers interviewed said the prices of greens are normally down after Chinese New Year.

However, due to the early arrival of Ramadan this year, the demand for greens by Muslims is low, leading to a glut in the market, especially for leafy vegetables.

Wholesalers send the excess greens to charity homes while some are just discarded.

Cameron Highlands’ Vegetable Farmers Organization president Datuk Chai Kok Lim said the prices for about 80% of leafy greens are low at this moment.

Farmers resort to discarding the unsold greens as they are already incurring losses.

Letting the workers harvest and pack the greens into boxes to send them away would mean additional costs for the farms.

Farmers rather discard the greens directly, Chai said.

The prices of greens are normally low after Chinese New Year, said Chai, adding that the early arrival of fasting month this year sees a drastic fall in demand.

“For the past two weeks, the weather in Cameron Highlands is exceptionally good with lots of sunshine.

“Many farms started to hire foreign workers since last November so that the farmers were able to start planting again. As such, production has increased,” he explained.

Liu You Fa, a farmer in Kinta Valley, said food stalls and restaurants operated by Muslims are closed during fasting month and the demand for greens is low.

Even if the production of greens is not high, the prices still remain depressed as demand slows.

The prices of vegetables are low due to improved production on good weather. Farmers tend to delay the harvest. When the greens are overdue, they will have to be left to rot in the farm instead, he said.