Special hats to fight fruit sunburn in Pekan Nanas

The Star

11 hours ago

A worker showing a dark patch on a pineapple that received too much sun exposure at Lim's farm, which sees many of the fruits wearing 'hats' these days to protect them during the hot months. — THOMAS YONG/The Star
FRUIT farmers are adjusting their operational procedures to cope with the scorching temperatures.
Pineapple farmer Haleem Lim said April to June were typically the hottest months in Malaysia, which increased the risk of fruit decay if preventive steps were not taken.
'Too much sun exposure will cause the fruits to suffer 'sunburn', meaning they get dark patches on the skin.
'Pineapple species such as MD2, Josa­pine and Yankee, which have thinner skin, are more vulnerable and susceptible to burns,' he told StarMetro.
The 58-year-old, who has been farming pineapples for more than a decade in Pekan Nanas, Pontian in Johor, said the fruits might develop holes in the skin, giving way to mould to spread thus making them inedible.
To mitigate this issue, he said the fruits were usually covered about 1.5 months before harvest to minimise risk.
'The trend of putting 'hats' on pineapples started 10 years ago when the climate became increasingly hot.
'These days, it has become part of our procedures for pineapple farmers, especially during the hot months,' he said.
He added that some 20 years ago, it was still possible to leave the fruits uncovered year-long without worrying about sun damage.
Lim, who also produces pineapple pro­ducts such as juices, jams and cooking sauces, said an average pineapple planting cycle took about 14 months from planting to harvesting.
He said some farmers had taken various steps to adapt to the hot weather, to avoid losses.
Meanwhile, Federation of Malaysia Fruit Farmers Association president Koh Lai Ann said proper soil management was essential to ensure healthy fruits and minimise losses due to extreme weather.
'I am a watermelon farmer and face similar challenges.
'As we do not have control over the weather, we adapt by managing soil health using the right tools and organic fertiliser.
'Of course, this increases operating costs but we want to minimise risk – one rotten fruit may cause the fruits in the whole plot to get discar­ded.'
Koh said changing weather patterns were also contributing to the rise in fruit-related diseases.
'With climate change increasingly affecting crop quality, adapting to the weather is necessary to ensure the fruits remain marketable and safe for consumption,' Koh added.
Malaysia Meteorological Department director-general Dr Mohd Hisham Mohd Anip had said the main cause for the current hot and humid weather was the southwest monsoon that began on May 10, with the phenomenon expected to continue until September.