BUKIT MERTAJAM: Vegetable prices are expected to stabilise in the next one to two months following various efforts carried out by the Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority (FAMA) together with the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industries (MAFI).

FAMA chairman Datuk Mohd Fasiah Mohd Fakeh said the increase in vegetable prices was due to several factors such as transportation problems in producing countries as well as floods and unpredictable weather in the cultivation areas which caused supply shortages.

"Right now we (FAMA and MAFI) are taking various efforts to stabilise the price of vegetables and in one to two months it is likely that it will continue to go down," he told reporters after visiting the Bukit Mertajam FAMA Distribution Complex here today.

Meanwhile, Mohd Fasiah said FAMA through its subsidiary, FAMA Corporation Sdn Bhd (FAMACorp) is expected to further expand its business activities by exploring more challenging business branches this year to help more entrepreneurs.

It includes making full use of the spaces available in the distribution complexes or operations centres, including in Bukit Mertajam, by creating cold room facilities and a Retort Packaging Technology Centre through an allocation of RM1.5 million.

"The facilities can help local entrepreneurs who have access to the export market as well as improve the quality of packaging and aseptic processing made from various layers of flexible laminate," he said.

-- BERNAMA