VEGETABLE PRICES WON'T GO UP

By : Chong Chee Seong

MUAR: Vegetable farmers have pledged not to raise prices should the government stop the import of vegetables from China because of the melamine scare.

The president of the federation of Malaysian Vegetable Farmers' Associations, Tan So Tiok, said farmers should be able to maintain prices despite higher demand.

"Vegetable farmers are not going to take advantage by raising the prices of greens if vegetables from China are banned," he said at his farm in Bukit Gambir here yesterday.

"Although the demand may increase, we will maintain the prices to encourage more Malaysians to eat local greens."

Tan commended the quick action of the Health Ministry in issuing a high alert following the recent findings by South Korean authorities that vegetables imported from China might be tainted with melamine.
Health Minister Datuk Liow Tiong Lai was reported to have said that he would request the South Korean government to provide Malaysia with details on the matter.

He said the ministry had started to check all food products from China to ensure they were safe for consumption.

Liow said so far, all products from China tested met the permissible level of melamine (of not more than 2.5 parts per million) .

Tan said farmers had absorbed rising costs and he called for more incentives for farmers to grow more vegetables and equip their farms with modern technology.

Meanwhile, the Health Ministry has directed that White Rabbit Creamer Candy and Ego White Rabbit Creamy Candy be taken off the shelves and destroyed after tests found that they were melamine positive.

Liow said laboratory tests showed that the candies contained melamine level above the standard or 135 parts per million (ppm).

Liow said it took two days to analyse each product and the ministry had no choice but to add more laboratories to the list of those testing for melamine.

He said of the 2,719 items sent for testing, only 64 had been analysed.

"We are not slow in our testing. We have taken drastic steps to ensure our food is free of melamine. Compared with other countries, we are not too bad," he said.

Liow said tests on "cheese packets" made from creamer and cheese powder imported from New Zealand showed they were melamine-free.

"The creamer used in making 3-in-1 instant coffee and instant cereal had been reported tainted by several websites after Pizza Hut Taiwan found melamine at 70 ppm in the 'cheese packets'."

SOURCE: NEW STRAITS TIMES, 7 OCTOBER 2008