The Pahang government is planning to establish a wholesale vegetable hub in Cameron Highlands in a move aimed at reducing farmers’ reliance on external middlemen believed to be controlling market prices.
State executive councillor for Consumer Affairs and Human Resources, Sim Chon Siang, said the initiative is crucial to ensure local farmers have direct access to marketing channels without being influenced by third parties.
He said the Cameron Highlands district office has been instructed to identify a suitable location for the development of the proposed hub.
According to Sim, current vegetable prices are largely dictated by wholesalers based in Selayang, leaving farmers with little control over pricing and often earning returns that do not reflect their efforts.
He revealed that some farmers reported selling certain vegetables for as low as 20 sen per kilogram, compared to previous earnings where more than 15 types of vegetables could fetch over RM1 per kilogram. Now, only two types still command such prices.
Sim added that the existing system forces farmers to accept prices set by wholesalers without negotiation, highlighting an imbalance between farm-gate prices and retail prices.
“For instance, tomatoes may be sold to wholesalers at around RM5 per kilogram, but retail prices can reach RM6.50. This raises questions about who is profiting along the supply chain,” he said.
He suggested that multiple layers of intermediaries could be contributing to the price disparity before products reach retailers and consumers.
Apart from pricing issues, Sim also addressed traffic congestion in certain parts of Cameron Highlands, which has caused delays lasting several hours.
He said one of the contributing factors is uncontrolled pedestrian movement, which disrupts traffic flow when vehicles are forced to stop frequently.
To address this, he proposed deploying personnel to manage pedestrian crossings during peak hours from 8am to 7pm, as well as the construction of pedestrian bridges equipped with facilities such as escalators as a long-term solution to improve traffic flow and safety.
