Cheaper to buy mandarin oranges now

IPOH - The price of kam has gone down to about 28 sen (S$0.10) for every 100g.

That's not referring to the precious gold commodity but to mandarin oranges, which symbolises riches for the Lunar New Year.

Now that the Year of the Goat has arrived, the fruit is being sold at much cheaper prices.

At some supermarkets, they are being sold at 28 sen for each 100g.

A 4kg carton of mandarin oranges, which used to cost around RM26, is being sold at RM20.

Homemaker Chew Eng Kuan, 47, said she was stocking up for the coming celebrations of the Jade Emperor's birthday on the ninth day of Chinese New Year.

"My family would usually buy an abundance of offerings for the celebration.

"It is a bonus that mandarin oranges are not in very high demand now, thus I can get them at lower prices," she said.

For police officer Kasuahdi Ali, he would buy the mandarin oranges once he finished the "supply" given to him by his friends who celebrated the occasion.

"Once my family finishes eating those mandarin oranges, then I will go and buy more at the supermarket because my children love them," he said.

"Of course, it is a plus point that now they are sold at a cheaper price."