KOTA KINABALU: The state will focus on promoting and marketing premium local avocados and durian to help boost farmers’ incomes in Sabah, said Datuk Jamawi Jaafar.
The Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Industries Minister said this initiative is in line with efforts to strengthen the agro-food sectors in the state and to assist rural farmers in earning more income.
He said a local avocado variety, QAV1, which has been rebranded as Queen Sabah Avocado, has demonstrated significant marketing potential.
The farm price ranges from RM12 to RM15 per kg and export prices are on the rise.
The ministry will expand avocado planting assistance programmes to areas such as Tenom, Keningau, Kota Marudu, Kudat and Ranau to help farmers take full advantage of this opportunity, said Jamawi after a durian leisure session with media practitioners.
In this respect, he said, the Farm Kitchen Tour programme will continue in conjunction with the Harvest Festival, starting May 1 in Papar.
Through this event, vegetable seeds would be distributed for free while young fruit trees and livestock such as chicken chicks, chickens, quail, tilapia, patin and catfish fry, among others, would be sold at discounted prices of up to 50%, he said.
Speaking about the oversupply of local durians during the fruiting season, Jamawi said they plan to boost their value through grafting to produce premium durians.
He said that when there is an oversupply of these local durians, the price would fall to as low as RM3 to RM5 per kg, whereas premium durians such as Musang King can fetch up to RM75 per kg and Black Thorns around RM85 per kg.
