Sudden hike in raw ingredients put bakers in a spot
SHAH ALAM - Bakers say they have no choice but to hike prices of Raya cookies after a sudden price hike in raw baking ingredients.
Just in 3 months, they say prices of wheat flour have gone up from RM20 for 10 cartons to RM27. Prices of brown sugar are now at RM5.50 per one pack, a bulk of butter used to cost RM675 and now it is RM840 while prices of cream cheese have risen from RM404 to RM470.
Rossa Kitchen founder, Rosmanisa Mat Desa said consumers may have to pay more this year to buy Raya cookies due to higher prices of raw ingredients.
“We decided to increase our prices slightly higher after the sudden increase,” she said, adding that the prices of her cookies have gone up by RM2 to RM4.
She has managed to keep her prices low after buying raw ingredients in bulk.
She has tried to keep the prices as low as possible so that customers would not feel the pinch. "So far, all of our customers are willing to pay for our products, we are very grateful for that,” she told Sinar Daily.
Her company also allows clients to pay in installments to ensure continuous revenue.
As for Faris Zulkifli, 31, the owner of Sundaydo, he aims to sell in volume to keep prices low.
“Since we are looking sales volume, we came up with an idea to make ‘combo’ products for customers to add on to their variety,” he told Sinar Daily.
He said people were still struggling post-pandemic and he wants to do his part by offering more while keeping prices low, and yet making money by selling in volume.
The Consumers' Association of Penang (CAP) education officer N V Subbarao said consumers have been complaining about the price hike of raw materials.
“Unlike before RM50 is just not enough to buy raw ingredients," he told Sinar Daily.
Subbarao urged the government to take immediate measures to curb prices as the rakyat are still reeling from job loss and pay cuts due to Covid lockdowns.
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