NAKHON PATHOM, 16 January 2014 Internal Trade Department Director-General Somchat Soithong revealed on Wednesday that the political situation has yet to result in shortage or hoarding of goods, although pork was starting to become more expensive as the Chinese New Year is drawing near.
According to Mr. Somchat, retailers have reported their sales have dropped by around 5% since the mass rally in Bangkok commenced; this was believed to have been due to the worsened mood of consumers during the shutdown period. Nonetheless, the DIT was continuing to inspect prices of common items, which are expected to rise during the Chinese New Year. The farm price of pork has risen to 71 baht per kilogram, and retail price has risen to 121-122 baht per kilogram. Mr. Somchat explained this was due to heightened demand during the Chinese New Year’s coupled with lessened supply because of the slower growth of pigs due to less favorable weather.
The director-general indicated his department had asked swine raisers to hold the price steady, and refrain from raising the price in excess of 2-3 baht per kilogram, so that the price charged on customers would not exceed 130-150 baht per kilogram. The department was also monitoring the prices of other protein sources, such as hen eggs and chicken to prevent opportunistic price raising during the Chinese New Year’s festival.
