Harumanis farmers in Kedah are aiming to produce up to 75 tonnes of mangoes this season.
The handsome returns from the harumanis trees was what “attracted” a sizeable number of farmers in Kedah to grow the mango variant.
Kedah Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority (Fama) deputy director (Operations) Hasrol Nizam Muhammad Zuki said those who had been in the business for a long time would be able to attest to this.
Among them were harumanis farmers from Kampung Pida 3, Kodiang in the Kubang Pasu district.
Hasrol said a mature harumanis tree, usually more than 5 years old, would be able to produce an average of about 50kg of fruits a season.
The current season began early last month and is expected to last until early July.
“So, for a farmer who has five mature harumanis trees, and if he really takes good care them, he would be able to collect 250kg of the fruits for the season.
“If the price is RM20 per kg, then the farmer will get RM5,000 this season just from the five trees.
“The more the farmer grows, the more returns he gets.
“If a farmer has 100 mature harumanis trees, which would be able to produce 5,000kg fruits, he will earn RM100,000 for the season,” he told the New Straits Times.
Hasrol, however, said the majority of the farmers in Kedah were newcomers and might not have seen such promising returns yet.
This is when, he said, Fama, the Kedah state Agriculture Department, Kedah Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute and Muda Agricultural Development Authority could come forward to help the farmers by providing them with the necessary guidance and technical expertise.
“However, this is not an easy task and it takes a lot strength and patience,” he added.
The New Sunday Times reported that contrary to popular belief that the harumanis could only be grown in Perlis, it was fast gaining the attention of the Kedah farmers.
Kedah Fama had registered 46 harumanis farmers, operating on 42.1ha, with a total of 3,742 trees. There were more than 90 harumanis farmers in Kedah.
Last season, the state produced between 17 and 18 tonnes of mangoes. This season, the figure is expected to rise significantly to between 70 and 75 tonnes.
Since the start of the season, Kedah has recorded sales of 2.5 tonnes of the fruit known as “king of mangoes”.
Sales are expected to soar after the fasting month and before the end of the season.
~New Straits Times~
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