PETALING JAYA: The ongoing coconut shortage in Malaysia has left consumers and food vendors struggling with escalating prices of coconuts and their derivatives, such as coconut milk.
A survey by the Consumers’ Association of Penang revealed that coconut prices have steadily increased from RM2 to RM2.50, with larger ones priced at RM3.30 each.
On Dec 24, the Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority (Fama) acknowledged the supply shortage and subsequent price rise but assured the public that the situation would improve by January.
Fama chairman Aminuddin Zulkipli said Famaco, the agency’s subsidiary, had increased imports of mature coconuts from Indonesia to 320 metric tonnes per month in December, compared with 180 metric tonnes previously.
He added that the measure helped stabilise prices, with monitoring showing that the increased supply was gradually balancing market demand.
Despite these efforts, vendors and consumers are already feeling the impact.
Nasi Lemak Kak Sal stall owner Nur Saleha Kamaruddin, 54, said the rising cost of coconut milk has significantly affected her business.
“The recent increase in the price of coconut milk has been difficult, but I have little choice but to continue my business.
“Previously, 1kg of coconut milk cost RM8 but now it’s RM9. Some places are selling it for up to RM12, which is ridiculous. My business consumes about 30kg or more a day, so the cost has risen to almost RM8,000 a month just for coconut milk.”
Nur Saleha added that maintaining affordable prices for her customers has become increasingly challenging as the cost of nearly every ingredient continues to climb.
“It’s tough to make a decent profit these days. Sometimes, I barely break even and it’s difficult to pay my workers fair wages.”
However, altering her recipe to reduce costs is not an option for Nur Saleha as her customers value the authenticity of her preparation.
“Some customers don’t understand how much effort and money go into making nasi lemak. They complain about price increases, but it’s hard to keep the business afloat with everything becoming more expensive.”
For now, she is holding firm on her pricing but is unsure how long she
can sustain it.
A regular customer, Safea Hannah Mohammad Fairuz, 19, expressed mixed feelings about the situation.
“Nasi lemak should be cheap – RM2.50 at most for a basic one. But some places sell plain nasi lemak at RM4, which is unreasonable.
“I don’t blame the sellers, though. They’re just trying to make a living. Street vendors need to survive, so sometimes I still buy it but it does leave a bitter taste when prices go
too high.”
Restaurant owner and chef Nor Aiman Tuah, 25, who runs Dapo Bujang in Teluk Intan, Perak, shared that the rising cost of coconut milk has also been burdensome.
Many of his popular dishes such as Ayam Gulai Lemak Cili Api and curry noodles require a lot of coconut milk.
“My restaurant serves Western food as well, but our local dishes are always a hit and customers usually order them instead.
“Price increases are not too much of a bother, as other food items have seen hikes before. Still, it is troubling, especially because we use a lot of coconut milk. If this goes on much longer, it’ll be hard for us. I just hope the prices drop a little next month.”
