THE STAR – Due to an abundance of supply, some tropical fruits are now being sold in the market at very low prices, benefitting both traders and consumers. The huge supply of mango imported from Thailand has been an opportunity for local fruit sellers such as Mohd Faisal Hassan.
The 38-year-old said he had made up to 40 per cent profits for the past month due to the ongoing demand. “Today alone, I managed to sell 570 kilogrammes (kg) of mango.
Consumers would always look for small business operators,” said Mohd Faisal, who sells the fruit from his four-wheel drive around Puncak Alam.
He said the mango gold susu is much sought after due to its creamy and sweet taste.
“This type of mango is in season, so Thailand has a huge supply. However, the prices fluctuate daily.
“For now, I’m selling them at only MYR20 for 5kg,” he added. Fruit trader Angela Wong in SS15, Subang Jaya, said her shop has also been marking down the prices of mangoes from Thailand.
“Mango season is usually around April or May. So we now sell the fruits at a lower price.”
The varieties sold at her shop include gold susu, harum manis, gold rainbow, Ai Wen and Taiwan mangoes. Aside from mangoes, watermelon is another tropical fruit currently in season.
According to Malaysia Fruits Farmers Association treasurer Koh Lai Ann, because southern watermelon production has increased by 40 per cent, the price has dropped to MYR1.20 per kg, while the wholesale price has increased to MYR1.70 per kg. He said good weather was one of the factors in the higher-quality yield. “In the past, we had a lot of watermelons for export, so there was a lot of production and we could still sell them (locally).
“But now there is less demand, so the farmers are not harvesting the watermelons but leaving them in the orchards,” he said. The harvesting season for watermelons is currently in full swing from March to May in the southern region and from May to June in Melaka and Port Dickson. Perak will see its harvest season from August to September, while Kedah will reap its harvest from November to December.
Kuala Lumpur Fruits Wholesaler Association treasurer David Tay said the lowest price for mango is MYR10 for 5kg, while the current wholesale price of watermelon is MYR2 per kg.
Due to the ringgit currency exchange rate, he said the prices of imported fruits are still the same.
Papaya grower Alvin Lo said the temperature in the early part of the year, which has an impact on papaya tree growth, is a significant factor in the price of papaya, which ranges from MYR6.99 to MYR10 per kg. Federation of Malaysia Fruit Farmers Association vice chairman Edmond Chow said the yield determines the price for indigenous bananas like pisang berangan, pisang mas and pisang nipah. Chow said Kedah is one of the major banana-producing states in the region, along with Johor, Pahang, Negeri Sembilan and Melaka.
On the king of fruits, Penang Fruit Farmers Association President Wong Jee Min said the durian season will begin in June, when the state’s durian production will be 10 per cent to 20 per cent lower due to weather related issues. According to Wong, the durian varieties available in Penang are Khun Poh, Black Thorn and Red Prawn, and the price will remain constant.
“Red Prawn and Khun Poh range between MYR30 and MYR40 per kg, while Black Thorn is at MYR90 per kg. Musang King is priced between MYR60 and MYR70 per kg,” he said.
