Giving mangosteen ‘queen treatment' to reverse declining yield

The Star

4 days ago

Growing effort: Mardi is studying seedling growth, with trials on Mesta mangosteen seedlings.
PETALING JAYA: The Agriculture and Food Security Ministry is considering pairing Musang King durian and mangosteen as Malaysia's official 'king' and 'queen' of fruits, following concerns over the decline in mangosteen production in recent years.
Agriculture Department director-­general Datuk Nor Sam Alwi said mangosteen output fell from 23,297 tonnes in 2020 to 22,073 tonnes in 2023 due to a range of factors.
'Shifting rainfall patterns and rising temperatures disrupted flowering and fruit-setting, leading to inconsistent yields and lower fruit quality,' she said when contacted.
However, she noted that preliminary data for 2024 indicates a significant recovery, with production rising to 30,231 tonnes.
Nor Sam said movement restrictions and a shortage of foreign labour during the Covid-19 pandemic further hampered harvesting and orchard maintenance in 2020 and 2021.
The crop also became increasingly vulnerable to translucent flesh disorder and gamboge disorder, which are physiological issues affecting fruit quality.
'Mangosteen has a long juvenile phase, taking more than six years to reach full production.
'This discourages investment, especially when compared to faster-­yielding and more profitable crops like durian,' she added.
In a written reply to The Star, the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Insti­tute (Mardi) said it is actively conducting research and development (R&D) to improve mangosteen yields and address production challenges.
Among its key initiatives is the conservation of genetic resources. Mardi maintains a wide collection of tropical fruit varieties, including from the Garcinia genus, to which mangosteen belongs, in field genebanks across its research stations for future breeding programmes and cultivar improvements.
To boost productivity, Mardi has tested the application of paclobutrazol, followed by potassium nitrate or Bicomine, at its Sintok station in Kedah.
The treatment significantly improved flowering and fruiting compared to untreated trees.
To address labour shortages, Mardi is also researching manpower required to harvest mangosteens at various maturity stages.
This work supports the development of mechanical harvesting tools to reduce dependence on manual labour and enable commercial-­scale operations.
Mardi is also studying seedling growth, with trials on Mesta mangosteen seedlings using different growing media aim to improve early development and support stronger orchard establishment.
Although not mangosteen-­specific, Mardi's broader R&D in climate-resilient agriculture – applied to crops such as paddy, mango, pineapple and durian – is likely to benefit mangosteen cultivation as well.
Orchard owner Edmond Chow said growing mangosteen requires just as much time and cost as durian but offers far lower returns.
'It takes seven to 10 years for a mangosteen tree to bear fruit, just like durian. But while Musang King sells for RM30 to RM50 per kg, mangosteen only fetches RM8 to RM9.'
Kuala Lumpur Fruits Whole­salers' Association president Chin Nyuk Moy said Malaysia still imports mangosteens, mainly from Thailand and Indonesia, and occasionally from China.
'Local mangosteens are now hard to come by. Some orchards in Raub still grow the Japan variety, but the days when mangosteens appeared during durian season are mostly over,' she said.
'With low yields, short shelf life and limited demand, mangosteens remain pricey – with some imported ones costing RM15 to RM20 per kg,' she added.