Prices of milk in S'pore goes up, sugar prices fall

A PRICE survey of 40 milk and sugar products retailing at major supermarkets in Singapore shows a hike in the prices of condensed and evaporated milk, and certain brands of fresh milk. Sugar, on the other hand, saw a slight dip in prices, or remained the same.
The survey conducted by the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE) was in response to recent concerns of product price hikes from members of the public and milk suppliers.

CASE requested for the price information of milk from Carrefour, NTUC Fairprice, Giant, and Sheng Shiong supermarkets in March and May respectively for a basis of comparison.

Condensed milk and evaporated milk

The price increase for condensed milk ranged from $0.10 to $0.50, which means the prices for some brands of condensed milk have gone up by nearly 45 per cent.

Nestle Milkmaid High-Calcium condensed milk shows the steepest price increase from about $1.10 to $1.60, while Dutch Lady condensed milk showed the smallest increase in price with a $0.10 hike.

The price increase for evaporated milk ranged from $0.15 to $0.47, marking a percentage increase of between 18 per cent to 48 per cent. The brand for evaporated milk that saw the steepest price hike is Nestle's Carnation Full Cream milk, from $0.90- $1.40 to $1.30- $1.70.

Fresh milk
Of the seven brands of fresh milk that CASE surveyed, the prices of four brand of 1 litre milk have increased across the board.

Marigold Hi-Lo Fresh milk, Magnolia Fresh milk, Farm House Fresh milk, and Daisy Fresh milk all saw price increases ranging from $0.10 to $0.55 for their products.

CASE says price-sensitive consumers can opt for supermarket housebrands as a cheaper alternative to cope with the price hikes. For instance, a can of Carrefour's 510g Big Saver condensed milk costs $1.10, while a 397g can of Fairprice condensed milk costs $0.90.

Going by cost per unit, these alternative brands sell for almost half the price of Nestle Milkmaid High-Calcium condensed milk.

CASE noted that not all supermarket chains practise a one-price policy. This means that prices may vary across the different outlets belonging to the same supermarket chain.

However, NTUC Fairprice and Giant supermarkets have said that it practices a one-price policy across all its outlets.

CASE said it will continue to monitor the prices of common household items and carry out periodic surveys.


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