KANGAR: Growers of Perlis’ premium Harumanis mangoes may soon be able to sell their produce directly through an official online platform aimed at curbing scams and expanding access to local and international markets.
Perlis youth and sports, communications and digital, transport, science, technology and innovation committee chairman Wan Zikri Afthar Ishak said the state is developing a dedicated trading portal for its signature mango variety as part of broader efforts to digitalise the agricultural sector.
“Harumanis is our iconic premium product and is highly sought after by consumers nationwide.
“We are designing a trading portal that will allow farmers to trade directly with global buyers while also strengthening sales in the domestic market,” he said when winding up the debate at the Perlis state assembly yesterday.
Speaking to reporters later, Wan Zikri Afthar said the initiative was partly driven by growing cases of fraud involving Harumanis sales.
“For years, transactions have been done manually. One reason we want to digitalise the industry is that there are increasing cases of online scams involving Harumanis. Consumers pay for Harumanis but end up receiving other varieties of mangoes.”
Wan Zikri Afthar said the platform will serve as an official marketplace backed by the state government and the Agriculture Department.
“We already have the fruit and the demand. The department’s website can be developed into a central hub with a more user-friendly interface, allowing consumers to purchase genuine Harumanis directly from verified growers,” he said.
Wan Zikri Afthar said the initiative would begin with Harumanis before being expanded to other agricultural products.
As part of the state’s digitalisation push, he said an application was submitted to Yayasan Inovasi Malaysia on April 20 for 30 units of a smart agriculture system known as “HABAQQQ”, developed by researchers at Universiti Malaysia Perlis.
The artificial intelligence-powered device is designed to help farmers monitor soil nutrients and optimise cultivation practices.
“The pilot project aims to improve fruit quality and increase the production of premium-grade Harumanis,” he said.
Perlis has about 2,600 Harumanis growers managing some 1,700ha of orchards.
As of mid-year, production had reached 1.36 million fruits, equivalent to 610.73 metric tonnes, or about 61% of the season’s projected output.
A similar digital initiative was recently introduced in Penang, where durian growers adopted QR code technology to help consumers verify the authenticity and origin of premium durian.
The system allows buyers to trace fruit back to its orchard, helping protect the reputation of Penang durian from counterfeit products.
Meanwhile, the Perlis state assembly adjourned sine die yesterday without the much-speculated no-confidence motion against Mentri Besar Abu Bakar Hamzah materialising.
