Set minimum selling price for fruits, says Hiew
Published on: Friday, April 26, 2024
By: Winnie Kasmir
Hiew said there have been several incidents where the price of fruits such as durian, papaya and avocado fell so badly in the Sabah market that farmers lost money and had to sell their crops cheaply and suffer losses.
Kota Kinabalu: The State Government should set a minimum selling price for fruits to ensure farmers will be able to generate income, said Karamunting Assemblyman Datuk George Hiew Vun Zin.
He said there have been several incidents where the price of fruits such as durian, papaya and avocado fell so badly in the Sabah market that farmers lost money and had to sell their crops cheaply and suffer losses.
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He said because there is no government intervention to control the price of fruits and in terms of marketing, many of the villagers who own land have chosen to plant palm oil.
“Nowadays, fruit farmers cut down their trees and plant palm oil even though the price of palm oil is cheap at only 50 cents per kg. Farmers were willing to plant oil palm because it is easy to maintain and sell.
“But when compared to fruits, the Musang King durian, for example, its price is now more than RM100 per kg If the government sets a minimum price of RM50 per kg, for example, that means farmers can get RM50,000 per tonne.
“The land in Sabah, especially in Keningau, Tenom, Lahad Datu, Kunak, Sandakan, Kota Marudu, and Kota Belud is suitable for growing fruits,” he said in his debate speech at the State Assembly.
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He said Sabah should follow the example of Thailand which has a similar land structure to Sabah but managed to become one of the largest fruit exporting countries in the world.
According to him, in addition to setting a minimum price for fruits in Sabah, the government should also create a fruit collection centre to collect the produce of local farmers before it is marketed, similar to what was done with palm oil in Sabah.
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“Sabah is bound by palm oil alone. If the government helps in terms of marketing and sets a minimum price for fruits, I am sure the villagers will also return to their villages to grow fruits.
“For example, Musang King durian has a high price. However, in the past few years, more and more people are growing durian, and there are already 700 hectares in Sabah that grow Musang King.”
He said if the State Government takes action to set a minimum price and help in terms of fruit marketing, it will be able to help reduce the poverty rate among Sabahans, especially those who live in rural areas because fruits can be grown in orchards that are small, even with only one to three acres.
“However, the Sabah Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Industry should also sit down with industry players to discuss this matter before making any decisions that can benefit farmers,” he added.
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