Festive mandarin oranges from China will be sweeter but up to 15% more expensive because of higher freight charges and the high exchange rate. Importers said there would be sufficent suppy of quality lokam oranges from Yong Chun and Zhan Zhou in Fujian province and Teochew Mandarin oranges from Shantou in Guangdong province for the 15-day Chinese New Year celebration. Sunshine Wholesalemart Sdn Bhd general manager Yee Kam Ming said the oranges were sweeter because of good weather and the "not so much" rainfall during the flowering season.

"Although the orchard price is slightly more than last year's, the retail price in Malaysia this year will be higher because of the increase in transportation cost and the high exchange rate of the yuan", Yee said. He said this year's harvest of lokam (mandarin oranges) were mostly in medium and large sizes, with better skin texture and stronger aroma. The company's first container of 4,500 boxes of lokam arrived in Penang on Monday. Sunshine Wholsesalemart, a subsidiary of Suiwah Corporation, is one of the major importers of oranges from China. Yee said the company had ordered 14 more containers, which would arrive next week. "We hope to order up to 20 containers when Chinese New Year is nearer," he said, adding that the company also imported oranges from Taiwan.