Friday, May 16, 2008
Photo shows a Sustagen Kid Vanilla packet. Sustagen Kid Vanilla is my 2nd child favorite formula milk powder. Its price increase from BND8.05 to BND9.80 per 700g packet since early May 2008.
(Photo: Abdul Rashid Haji Tahir. Taken on 14 May 2008 )
There is a global increase in food price. It may due to either one or in combinations of several factors: an increase of oil price, weather, natural disaster, and it is about the demand-and-supply things.
In terms of the price of rice, Bruneian may not feel the pain (but it may increase the cost to the government to subsidise the price of rice). Regarding the increase the price of the flour, restuarants in Brunei already charge their customers with the new adjusted price, such as roti telor which is previously costs from BND1.00 to BND1.20 now cost from BND1.20 to BND1.40 (depended upon which restuarant do you eat) and certain gerai or tamu already charge BND1.50 for regular size Kuih Malaya (from BND1.00) and BND2.00 for big size Kuih Malaya (from BND1.50).
Besides rice and flour, baby and children formula milk also rise. My children formula milk powder also faces the same thing. My children consume Sustagen powder milk. Sustagen have three types, that is, Sustagen Junior for children from 1 - 3 years, Sustagen Kid for children from 3 to 6 years, and Sustagen School for children 6 years and above. All of the Sustagen types have three flavour: vanilla, chocolate, and honey.
I have two children. My first child, who is 4.5 years old, consumes about 8 packets of 700g Sustagen Kid Chocolate per month. My second child, who is 2.9 years old, consumes about 12 packets of 700g Sustagen Junior Vanilla (now Sustagen Kid Vanilla) per months. Both of them bring the total of 20 packets of 700g Sustagen per months. Previously, each packet costs BND8.05 (I can get BND7.90 per packet at a certain supermarkets). Therefore, my total spending on the formula milk powder previously is about BND160.oo per months.
Now (since at the beginning of May 2008), Sustagen Junior and Sustagen Kid cost about BND9.80 per packet (I can get BND9.60 per packet at a certain supermarkets). Therefore, my total spending on the formula milk rises to about BND195.00 per months, that is, an increase of BND35.00 per months or about 20 % more to spend than the previous months.
More about Sustagen (According to the info on the Sustagen packet): It is the product of Thailand. Packed under licence from Mead Johnson and Co (USA) by Bristol-Myers Squibb Thai Limited. It is certified Halal by the Central Islamic Committee of Thailand. Imported by Bristol-Myers Squibb (M) Sdn Bhd and distributed in Brunei Darussalam by Harpers Trading (B) Sdb Bhd. The oringin of milk is from New Zealand and/or Australia.
p/s: Can we do somethings with the price system (demand-and-supply things in determining the price of goods)?
Posts
