The Cameron Highlands Indian Farmers Association will raise the price of chrysanthemum flowers by 10% from December 10. President S. Mathan said the price increase could not be avoided due to the rising cost of materials and labor. According to him, most farmers in the highlands plant only chrysanthemum flowers, and the last price increase for these blooms was on June 30 this year.
Mathan said the association members decided to increase the price of two varieties – 'chrysanthemum' and 'chrysanthemum 225 variant' – by RM1 per bundle, which consists of 12 stalks. “The costs of fertilizers, raw materials, and pesticides have gone up by this year. All of our 340 members have agreed to the price increase after a meeting recently,” he said. However, he said the price increase is not inclusive of transport charges or the cost of flower boxes.
Mathan said Cameron Highlands farmers face several challenges, one of which is manpower. The farmers depend on foreign workers, and they are now asking for higher salaries. “If we don’t meet their salary expectations, these foreign workers will go elsewhere, although they have hardly worked a year on a farm.”
Mathan hopes the government will come up with a price mechanism to ensure that prices of raw materials and fertilizers do not rise further. He also appealed for more foreign labor on the farms of the Cameron Highlands.
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