A tough life clouded by uncertainties.
By Foong Pek Yee
foongpekyee@gmail.com
April 13, 2022.
UKRAINE may be an 11-hour-flight away but the war there is giving farmers in Malaysia sleepless nights.
With Russia and Ukraine being major exporters of fertilisers worldwide, the price of the commodity has skyrocket since the war erupted in late February.
“A 50 kilogram bag of fertiliser cost RM210 now, compared to RM135 in January this year,” says a vegetable and fruit farmer in Bidor, Perak.
He says the war has dealt another blow on the farmers who have yet to recover from the covid 19 pandemic.
The road ahead: A farm in Bidor Stesyen New Village in Bidor, Perak
The villagers settled down in the new village during the Emergency (1948-1960).
“We have already scaled down production in the last two years.
“The pandemic which saw a shortage of workers, rise in the cost of farming and uncertainty in demand for vegetables and fruits and loss of income have taken a toll on the farming community,” the farmer who is in his 30s says.
He reckons that farmers will have to scale down their production further if the current situation does not improve.
Perseverance: A farmer harvesting sweet potatoes in his farm in Bidor Stesyen New Village.
According to CNBC.com on April 6, the war in Ukraine could tighten food supplies.
It noted that farmers are seeing prices for fertilisers skyrocket, and that some of them may opt to rotate their crops or use less nutrients, which could reduce crop yields.
A vegetable farmer in Bidor who is in his 20s says he has also reduced his production by half since two years ago.
He cited high cost of farming and uncertainty in demand for green produce as major reasons to do so.
“I can no longer afford to go for full production based on current circumstances,” he adds.
For a living: A farmer having his lunch at a coffeeshop in Bidor Stesyen New Village. The place is quiet due to the pandemic.
Green produce: Bidor Stesyen New Village produces a variety of vegetables like lady’s fingers, sweet potatoes, sengkuang (turnip), radish; and fruits include guava and jambu.
Old world charm: Bidor town is a touristic spot ,selling fruits from surrounding new villages like Bidor Stesyen, Kuala Bikam and Coldstream which are famous for fruits like guava, jambu and mangoes.
He says the rising cost of living, rising cost of doing business and unemployment will affect consumption patterns.
“People have to cut consumption.
“This will have adverse effects on farmers.
“Our income has already fallen by half compared to pre pandemic days,” he says, adding that cash flow problems is looming.
