KOTA KINABALU, Feb 9 ― The retail price of chillies has surged to RM50 or even up to RM100 per kilogramme (kg) during the Chinese New Year season due to the decline in supply caused by weather conditions.

A retired civil servant said he often purchased chillies from Donggongon tamu and found that the supply has decreased before the Lunar New Year, while prices have gone up.

Today, he was shocked to learn that the price of chillies had soared to RM100 per kg.

"This was the highest price I encountered. I went to several other stalls and found that the vendors are asking for RM50, RM70, RM80 and RM100 per kg for chillies as well, and only limited quantities were available.”

In the end, he bought a small bag of chillies at RM50 per kg.

According to a vendor at Kota Kinabalu Central Market, the cost of chillies has doubled as the weather conditions have affected the harvest.

He said bird’s eye chillies previously cost between RM20 and RM30 per kg, but the shortage has driven up the price to RM50 per kg.

"Although the price of chillies has increased, supply is still very limited.”

Meanwhile, a vegetable vendor at Rural Development Cooperative (KPD) tamu in Tanjung Lipat confirmed that the price of chillies had surged to RM50 per kg today.

She said the price of chillies tended to fluctuate based on supply and sometimes shortage would occur.

"The highest price chilli ever reached was RM60 per kg,” she said.

She added that the chillies she procured were grown in Tuaran and Kota Marudu. ― Borneo Post Online