Cameron Highlands Flora Farmers Forced to Dump 1,200 tons of Flowers! Only 10% Manage to Export! Covid-19 destroys flower growers dream, no demand for the blooms. 
(Cameron Highlands, 11th April 2020) Since the operation of the movement control order, the Cameron Highlands Flora Industry has been thwarted. In just three weeks, the local flower farmers were forced to discard and destroy up to 1,200 tons of unsalable flowers. Estimated nearly RM33 million losses! Vegetables farmers are also affected but not as badly as flower growers. People say that flowers are for both happy and sad occasions but not this time. Looking at the situation, farmers might be forced to dump the flowers which will be harvested for Mother’s Day celebration next month
Vice Chairman of Cameron Flora Industry Association, said that Cameron Highland’s “flower loss incident” has always exists. Since the spread of the Covid-19, only 10% of local flowers have been exported, and the rest cannot be exported and sold to the local market. The above-mentioned loss figures are still increasing, and the “lost flower incident” is staged every day.
“Cameron Highlands has 200 to 225 large and small flower farmers, 80% are for exports, and 20% for domestic market. 95% of Cameron Highlands Flora farmers are affected and face huge losses.”
He pointed out that the flower market in Singapore and Malaysia is not performing. Orders from Japan and Singapore have plummeted by 90%, while orders from Australia have stopped 100%. For Hong Kong, flower farmers can still receive 20% of orders.
“Up to 70% of our country ’s flowers are exported to Japan, and the cost of air transportation has skyrocketed today, from 6 to 7 ringgits per kilogram, to 15 ringgits, and 18 to 24 ringgits. Flower farmers have no way to afford them, only to dump the flowers directly in the garden. . “