Sabah, the second largest state of Malaysia, has many native fruits such as tarap, bambangan, durian dalit or red-fleshed durian and many other wild fruit species have great market potential. However, according to Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Shafie Apdal, these remain largely economically untapped. He said tropical fruits like pineapples, durians, bananas and avocados also have a huge market potential in the state.
Over the last two decades, Shafie said the tropical fruits industry had experienced a phenomenal growth as new markets were taking shape given the rising demand from consumers. “The tropical fruit industry in Sabah has gained a new-found importance. The Sabah State Government acknowledges this, and thus seeks innovative and sustainable ways to develop the industry by diversifying away from traditional economic commodities such as oil palm or cocoa.”
He said the state Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry advocated agricultural diversification, which entailed a shift from oil palm cultivation to alternatives such as tropical fruits to supplement local food demands as well as for foreign markets.
“This would definitely boost farmers’ income and encourage economic growth,” Shafie said in his speech at the International Conference on Tropical Fruit Pests and Diseases.
Source: The Borneo Post
