In the lead up to Chinese New Year mandarins are predicted to be less prevalent in Malaysian wholesale markets as interest in the fruit wanes and hypermarkets take an increased share of sales.
According to a report on Malaysian national news agency website Bernama.com fewer wholesalers are stocking mandarins this year because of rising costs, increased competition with hypermarkets and diminishing interest amongst consumers.
KL Fruit chairman Wong Wai Heng said trading in markets, especially of mandarins, had been quiet leading up to Chinese New Year, which falls on 3 February this year.
“The market price for each box of mandarin oranges is RM28 (US$9.20) this year. Compared to last year, the price has increased by RM4 to RM5 (US$1.30-1.60), he told the website.
Mr Wong said that as supplies of mandarins were limited he was obliged to sell at prices inline with world market prices.
Fong Chew Lim, a fruit seller at Selayang Wholesale Market told the website he had seen the popularity of mandarins decrease each year during the 10 years he had worked at the market.
He believed one reason for this trend was that people were increasingly buying mandarins in smaller quantities from hypermarkets instead of wholesale markets.
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