KOTA KINABALU: Farmers in Sabah’s fruit basket of Tenom could see their sales improve with the planned construction of an agriculture processing centre there.
The centre, which will specialise in avocado marketing and processing, is expected to help improve prices and production value once built, said Sabah Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Industries Minister Datuk Jamawi Jaafar.
He said Tenom was chosen for the project as it is among the largest avocado-producing districts in the state.
“This is also to help address grouses from the ground, as the prices of local avocado varieties are lower than the premium QAV1 avocado grade,” he said during a visit to the site on Saturday (May 9).
Jamawi urged local farmers to graft the QAV1 variety to improve the quality of their yield and increase the commercial value of their plantations.
The Melalap state assemblyman said grafting would help address problems such as trees producing avocados that are not marketable.
He also urged farmers to continue learning and planting fruits such as avocados, citing their consistent demand and positive returns.
Jamawi said sufficient production volume would be needed once the factory is ready for operations.
“Our ministry will also work with farmers, including durian and other tropical fruit planters, to boost the production and sale of local produce,” said Jamawi.
Apart from fruits, he said the ministry was also working to enhance the fisheries sector by building the first fish landing jetty in Tenom.
Other facilities to help local fishermen sell their catch would also be improved from time to time, he added.
