Sugar shock: Satun sweet treat vendors stick to their prices, seek government help
Sweet treat vendors in Satun are suffering from soaring sugar prices, causing a significant decrease in their income and profits. Despite the hardship, they persist in maintaining their original prices, fearing the impact on their customers. The vendors are pleading for urgent government intervention.
The rise in sugar prices has had a significant impact on sweet treat sellers, particularly those who sell various Thai sweets. The burden of increased costs has caused a decrease in income as prices for all items, including eggs, flour, oil, and cooking gas, have risen.
On October 28, the sugar prices rose again, causing a noticeable reduction in the profits that were once gained. The vendors are urging the government to urgently solve this problem. The reason for the persistence in maintaining sweet treat prices is due to the regional conditions.
If the prices are high, people won’t buy, so they choose to grit their teeth and keep the original price.
Nonglak Nahue, owner of the Kha Trong dessert shop and a sweet treat and Thai dessert seller in the Satun municipal morning market, said she has been selling sweet treats for over 40 years.
Each day, she makes more than 15 types of sweets such as Foi Thong, Thong Yip, Thong Yod, Met Khanun, Khao Niao Kaeo, Khao Niao Sangkaya, Mo Kang Tao, Mo Kang Kai, etc.
Nonglak revealed that the ingredients for making all kinds of desserts had increased in price, including flour, eggs, yeast, and cooking gas.
“Today, sugar is adjusted up, 4 baht per kilogramme, from the original 28 baht to 32 baht. Each day, she uses 10 kilogrammes of sugar to make desserts. In the days when prices had not yet risen, sweet sales exceeded 3,000 baht per day. When the goods adjusted up, the profit was left at 1,000 baht per day. Now everything has been adjusted upwards, the profit is only 500 baht per day.”
She further said that now that the sugar prices have risen again, she can’t adjust the price of the sweets, because if the price is expensive, no one will buy. Because desserts are not considered necessities, unlike various curries that need to be eaten every day.
If sweets are expensive, locals will not buy them. Currently, dessert pieces like Mo Kang, and Khanom Chan are sold cut into a box of two pieces for 15 baht per box. Small tray egg desserts are 45 baht per tray. They are still sellable, but the profit has decreased significantly, almost getting nothing. She has to sell out, otherwise, she will lose.
Nonglak further stated that she admits that she is in great difficulty right now. She would like the government to sympathise with the vendors and freeze the prices of various essential consumer goods. Because locals are in great difficulty, they can’t buy sugar to hoard because they don’t have a lot of reserve capital.
It’s just a day-to-day sales turnover. She’s in a lot of trouble right now, reported KhaoSod.
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