Green gold: Mohd Fairus with a Harumanis harvest at his farm in Kangar, Perlis.
KANGAR: Be prepared to pay slightly more for the famed Harumanis mangoes with a smaller harvest expected due to the hot weather.
Despite the conditions, orders for the famed Harumanis mangoes are already pouring in from as far as Sabah and Sarawak.
Harumanis farmer and entrepreneur Mohd Fairus Abdul Razak, 39, said he expected the sale of the fruits to go up by 20%.
“I foresee there will be fewer Harumanis fruits this year due to the extreme hot weather.
“But on the bright side, demand for the fruits has been good, as we have received orders from Johor and other parts of the country,” he said.
Mohd Fairus said the fruits were expected to be harvested in the first week of Hari Raya next month.
However, he added that the scorching heat could affect the pollination process of the fruit.
“Hot temperatures are good for Harumanis, but if it is too hot, the flower buds could shrink and this could affect the growing process of the fruit,” he said.
The ideal temperature for the mangoes to pollinate and produce fruits is between 31ºC and 32ºC.
He said if fewer fruits were produced during the harvest season, Harumanis lovers could see the price increase a little.
For now, Harumanis is selling between RM20 and RM25 per kg in Perlis. In other parts of the country, it can fetch up to RM40 per kg.
Another planter Azley Wan Chik, 46, said he hoped to harvest enough mangoes to cater to the demand. He, too, has expected a smaller harvest this season due to the temperature.
Azley said that at least a month of hot temperature is needed to produce sweet, delicious and healthy mangoes.
“But if it is too hot, the flowers will drop prematurely from the trees,” he said.
Harvested only once a year, the sweet and aromatic Harumanis is a special breed of mango which maintains its green-coloured skin even when it’s ripe.
It is also the most expensive local mango in the country and is exported to Singapore, Japan, China and the United States.
