The prices of mandarin oranges may increase this Chinese New Year, but the same may not be said for pineapple tarts.

The prices of mandarin orange are expected to go up by 20 to 30 per cent, the chairman of the Singapore Fruits and Vegetables Importers and Exporters Association Tay Khiam Back told The New Paper.

The price increase is due to the heavy snow in China's Fujian province and Taiwan, which are still reeling from the effects of the typhoons in September.

As a result, their supplies of mandarin oranges are expected to be reduced by as much as half.

Farmers there also predicted that their harvests will be reduced by 30 per cent.

"The supply of mandarin oranges will not be affected as Singapore's demand is not big, but the prices will increase," Mr Tay said.

He added that Singapore also imports mandarin oranges from Pakistan, Japan, South Korea, Morocco and Europe.

Miss Seah Lay Hoon, who is in charge of sales at wholesaler Bee Seng Fruit Supply, told TNP she has seen a 20 per cent increase in the prices of mandarin oranges for the upcoming season compared with this year's.

US DOLLAR

"There is short supply in China due to the poor weather.

"We are also affected by the increase in the US dollar, as the cost price quoted to us by our Chinese supplier is in US dollars," she said.

"We are trying to price it so that the impact on the consumers is not so bad."

Other Chinese New Year goodies, such as pineapple tarts, however, are not seeing much of an increase in prices.

True Blue Cuisine chef-owner Benjamin Seck told TNP the prices of his popular pineapple tarts will not increase.

"We import our pineapples from Malaysia.

"We do not see a difference in price although the Malaysian ringgit has fallen against the Singapore dollar because the (cost of the) local labour for (turning) the pineapples into the jam has increased."

A bottle of 12 pieces of True Blue Cuisine's pineapple tarts will cost $38 next year - the same as this year.

A spokesman for Bakerzin told TNP that its $22.80 price tag for 18 pieces of pineapple tarts is not expected to increase.

Owner of D'pastry, Mrs Cynthia Koh, said that while the price of pineapples has not increased, the costs of other raw materials have.

As a result, it will have a "slight increase" in the prices of its pineapple tarts next year.