Kota Kinabalu: Efforts to promote premium durian and local avocado cultivation are among the key focuses of Sabah’s Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Industry (MAFFI) in boosting farmers’ incomes in the state.
Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Industry Datuk Jamawi Jaafar said the initiative is in line with efforts to strengthen the agri-food sector while helping rural entrepreneurs generate additional income.
He said this when met at a durian appreciation session with media practitioners here, attended by about 45 media representatives, at Kedai Buah Durian King (DKing) on Friday.
According to Jamawi, the local avocado variety known as QAV1, or rebranded as Queen Sabah Avocado, is now showing promising market potential. Avocado is referred to as “green gold” in Latin America with even drug lords switching to the crop in view of its huge potential.
“This avocado (QAVI) has a strong market, with farm-gate prices ranging from RM12 to RM15 per kilogramme, while export prices are also increasing,” he said.
In this regard, Jamawi said the ministry would expand avocado planting assistance programmes, particularly in interior areas such as Tenom, Keningau, Kota Marudu, Kudat and Ranau.
He said the initiative is expected to become an additional source of income for farmers alongside their existing crops.
Meanwhile, he said the Kebun Dapur Roadshow programme would continue in conjunction with the Kaamatan Festival starting May 1 in Papar.
“Through this programme, we will distribute vegetable seeds free, while fruit seedlings, livestock and fish fingerlings offered at discounts of up to 50 per cent.
“This includes chicks, layer chickens, broilers, quails, as well as fish seeds such as tilapia, patin and catfish,” he said.
Jamawi said the initiative aims to encourage the public to grow vegetables and rear livestock at home to supplement household income.
In addition, he said 25 agricultural produce collection centres have been activated in each parliamentary constituency to facilitate the marketing of farmers’ produce.
He added that a digital application would also be launched soon to help identify agricultural supply and streamline marketing processes.
“This role will be carried out by the Sabah Agriculture Marketing Authority (Sama), which functions similarly to Fama, to ensure farmers’ produce can be marketed at reasonable prices.
“In the event of a surplus, Sama will purchase the produce to prevent losses for farmers,” he said.
Commenting on the oversupply of local durians or known as “durian kampung”, he said the ministry plans to enhance the value of local durians through mature grafting technology to produce premium varieties.
“Every season, we see an oversupply of these local durians, causing prices to drop as low as RM3 to RM5 per kilogramme.
“Whereas premium durians such as Musang King can fetch up to RM75 per kilogram and Black Thorn around RM85 per kilogramme,” he said.
In Ranau alone, he added these oversupply local durians can reach up to 3000 tonnes.
He said upgrading of these local durians into premium varieties would increase market value and growers’ income.
