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Others have also seen their supplies fall by at least 40 per cent.<\/p>\n
These include varieties of lettuce, including romaine, butterhead, green coral and red coral, mainly sourced from Cameron Highlands.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Leafy greens such as bayam and sweet potato leaf from Kulai and Kota Tinggi are also affected.<\/p>\n
Tan Ching Hup Vegetables Wholesaler said supplies of cabbages had fallen by around half over the past two weeks.<\/p>\n
Owner Tan Hua Ngee said the price of a bag of cabbages from Indonesia had risen by at least 50 per cent, from about S$10 (US$8) to between S$15 and S$16 as of Oct 16, compared to a week prior.<\/p>\n
Mr Tan added that if supplies from Indonesia become unavailable, he would look to source vegetables from alternative markets such as China and Vietnam.<\/p>\n
To mitigate the impact, Avo & Co has also begun sourcing more produce from countries unaffected by the haze, including Australia and Vietnam.<\/p>\n
But these alternatives come at a cost.<\/p>\n
A head of romaine lettuce sourced from Malaysia typically costs between S$2 and S$3, Mr Chew said.<\/p>\n
The same vegetable imported from Australia can cost between S$6 and S$8, more than double the price.<\/p>\n
The higher price is largely due to transport costs, as produce from Australia has to be flown in rather than transported overland.<\/p>\n
“We will look at other countries which are not affected by the haze,” Mr Chew said. “But definitely the cost will be a lot higher as compared to Malaysia.”<\/p>\n
Still, the firm is looking to absorb as much of the additional cost for now.<\/p>\n
“We are serving mainly food services customers, restaurants (that) have a fixed menu pricing,” said Mr Chew.<\/p>\n
“We try to absorb as much as we can, but if it’s for the long run, then of course we will have to pass the cost on to our customers.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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