GOPENG: The Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority has set up 20 temporary collection centres for seasonal fruits, particularly durian, across Perak.
The move aims to strengthen the marketing chain during its current peak harvest season.
Perak Fama director Azleena Zainal Abidin said the centres were set up to facilitate the collection, cleaning, grading and marketing of the seasonal fruit.
"Fama remains committed to strengthening the marketing of local durians to ensure growers' produce is marketed more efficiently, while increasing farmers' incomes and reducing the risk of oversupply during the peak harvesting period," she said.
She was speaking after the Mega Agro Madani Sales Programme at RTC Perak on Saturday (June 27).
Also present were Perak Agriculture Committee chairman Datuk Mohd Zolkafly Harun and Fama deputy director-general Faisal Iswardi Ismail.
Among the collection centres are those in Batu Kurau, Kuala Kangsar and Kampung Gajah.
Azleena said Fama Perak has also expanded its durian marketing network through the Agro Madani Sales Programme, Agrobazaars, and sales at government offices and residential areas.
She added that between June 9 and June 21, Fama Perak had marketed 1,126 metric tonnes of durian worth RM3.38mil.
She said the achievement demonstrated the effectiveness of the marketing network in ensuring locally produced durians reached consumers efficiently.
To address surplus production and increase the value of durian products, she said Fama Perak's operations centre has also begun processing durian paste as part of its value-added marketing strategy.
"The initiative allows growers to market durian kampung that are difficult to sell as fresh fruit while minimising losses caused by excess production," she said.
"Through processing, the durians are turned into high-quality paste with a longer shelf life, creating opportunities to supply the food processing, bakery and dessert industries, as well as export markets," she added.
Meanwhile, Mohd Zolkafly said the three-day programme, held from June 26 to 28, is expected to attract 50,000 visitors, generate RM750,000 in sales and provide consumers with savings totalling RM225,000.
He said visitors also had the opportunity to purchase about 20 metric tonnes of fresh durian, more than 15 metric tonnes of local fruits and 450 durian tray sets priced at RM30 each.
As of May 31, he said Fama Perak had organised 169 Agro Madani Sales Programmes statewide, recording total sales of RM3.76mil.
By the end of the year, he said Fama Perak aims to organise 421 Agro Madani Sales Programmes throughout the state to expand the initiative's benefits to more consumers and entrepreneurs.
