Farmers: Opt for locally grown fruit
An oversupply of bananas has resulted in slightly lower prices. — THOMAS YONG/The Star
MALAYSIANS have been urged to eat more local fruits, which are fresher and packed with vitamins.
Johor Fruit Farmers Association chairman Alvin Lo said locally grown fruits typically reach the market within two to three days of harvesting.
'Tropical fruits such as bananas, papayas and watermelons cannot be kept for too long.
'They are usually sent to the market within a short period upon harvesting.
'This makes them fresher and juicier compared to imported fruits, which take weeks to reach our shelves by sea,' he said.
He added that many consumers were unaware that local fruits like papayas were rich in Vitamin C.
Lo said it was also a good time to eat bananas as there was currently an oversupply in the market, resulting in slightly lower prices.
'The increasing number of farmers planting the fruit and technological improvements have contributed to the high harvest but market demand remains the same,' he said.
He added that the association was trying to raise consumer awareness about the advantages of eating local fruit through social media and events.
Lo said local fruits were also facing strong competition from imported fruits such as Thai mangoes.
'Many local mango farmers have chosen to switch to farming other fruits like guava.
'We import large quantities of Thai mangoes at cheap prices, so many of our local farmers cannot compete,' he said, adding that farmers in Perak were facing this issue.
He added that farmers' livelihoods could be affected if Malaysians did not choose locally grown fruits in the long run, as the growers were bogged down by rising costs of fertiliser, pesticide, labour and diesel.
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