The price of coconuts has gone up to RM2.20 each, resulting in the price of coconut milk increasing to RM9 per kilogramme. — Bernama pic

KUALA TERENGGANU, Dec 11 — The price of coconuts has gone up to RM2.20 each, resulting in the price of coconut milk increasing to RM9 per kilogramme (kg).

Checks by Bernama at Pasar Chabang Tiga found grated coconut and coconut milk being sold at RM8 and RM9 per kg respectively, compared to RM7 and RM8 previously.

A trader, Abdullah Ibrahim, 35, said if coconuts were purchased from suppliers at RM1.40 each, now it has increased sharply and is likely to rise to RM2.40.

“We are not increasing the price of coconut milk indiscriminately, we buy from suppliers at high prices, so we have to increase the price accordingly.

Coconut supplies are becoming scarce now, forcing suppliers and traders to increase prices,” he told Bernama when met here today.

According to him, in order to obtain 150kg of coconut milk, 400 coconuts are needed and due to the high demand during the weekend, 600 coconuts are needed.

The whole amount is used in a day and customers are mostly restaurant owners and residents.

Abdullah said normally they would buy 800 coconuts and it can last up to two days.

Meanwhile, a trader, Mohd Syuzlan Abd Wahab, 28, said coconuts are usually sourced from Johor which are imported from Indonesia, whereas kampung coconuts are obtained from Kelantan and Terengganu.

“There are not many kampung coconuts. If you follow the price of coconuts it rises every day and we are also forced to raise the price of coconut milk, based on coconut supply,” he said. — Bernama