TAWAU: Tawau avocados have become a symbol of Sabah’s agrotechnology success, having broken the dominance of imported products from Australia and Kenya, and even receiving demand for export overseas.
This development further proves that the Tawau-origin avocado of the Avocado Quoin Sabah (AQS) variety, previously known as QAV1, has great potential to generate lucrative returns for growers involved in its cultivation.
Advertisement
Tawau, in particular, is regarded as having some of the most fertile soil in Sabah, and it is hoped that this advantage will continue to strengthen the agricultural sector in line with technological advancements for the production of high-quality new varieties.
Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Industry Datuk Jamawi Jaafar said the Department of Agriculture is currently in the process of promoting the new name for QAV1, namely AQS, which was officially introduced in August last year.
“This new avocado variety was developed by the Quoin Hill Agricultural Research Station and has superior quality and taste compared to imported avocados, in addition to having a larger fruit size.
“On average, AQS weighs about 500 grams per fruit, with a richer, creamier taste. The period from harvest to ripening takes about a week.
“It also has a longer shelf life compared to other varieties, including imported avocados,” he said at a press conference held in conjunction with the Tawau-Level Agriculture and Aquaculture Exhibition at the Tawau Community Hall, recently.
Jamawi said that although Tawau pioneered the AQS variety in Sabah, the largest cultivation areas are currently in Tenom and Keningau. As such, more residents of Tawau are encouraged to venture into avocado cultivation.
He said Tawau’s soil is highly suitable for avocado farming due to its volcanic ash content; however, less than 10 hectares of land in the district are currently used for avocado cultivation.
“There are also locals who claim they grow avocados, but the varieties planted are not AQS. They grow village avocados or unbranded varieties.
“Therefore, I advise choosing quality avocados such as the AQS variety,” he said, while expressing his appreciation to the Prime Minister for heeding appeals to impose taxes on imported avocados.
He added that the move to protect local avocados was necessary, as imported avocados are sold at higher prices, which has helped boost market demand for locally produced avocados.
When asked about the Department of Agriculture’s targets, he said a total of 50,000 avocado trees have been set to be planted within a two-year period between 2025 and 2026 to meet export market demand.
“At present, we are unable to meet market demand due to limited cultivation. That is why the Department of Agriculture is ready to supply seedlings to those who are interested,” he said.
Jamawi said the exhibition brought together 50 booths operated by entrepreneurs, most of which showcased technology in the agriculture and fisheries sectors, including food products developed with guidance from the ministry.
Touching on the Kitchen Garden initiative to be launched by the Chief Minister in Tuaran on Feb 15, Jamawi said youths will be involved in the programme to invigorate agricultural activities as a source of economic generation.
