AVOCADO is ranked first among non-local fruits currently grown in Johor.
State Agricultural Department director Yosri Mohd said there were currently six farmers growing avocados in Johor.
“The farms are located in Kulai, Batu Pahat, Tangkak, Kluang and Muar with trees ranging in age from one to five years.
“Other than that, we also have Brazilian grapes (jabuticaba) and abiu (pouteria caimito), a tropical fruit tree with Amazonian origins, growing in Kulai.
“There are figs being farmed in Johor Baru, lemons in Tangkak as well as Brazilian longan (matoa) in Mersing and Segamat,” he told StarMetro.
Yosri added that some farmers had also just ventured into grape farming in Mersing using the rain shelter concept.
These are structures designed to shield plants from excessive rainfall while not depriving them from sufficient sunlight, air and moisture.
These are constructions used to protect plants from heavy downpours without denying them enough air, sunlight, or moisture.
“As demonstrated by the cultivation of avocados and matoa, certain non-local fruit species can be grown in Malaysia, but quality control and good agricultural practises (APB) are necessary,” he stated.
According to the department’s website, APB is a resource management system that takes into account worker welfare, safety, and health as well as environmental preservation, and may boost agricultural production and provide safe, high-quality food.
Yosri pointed out that several non-local fruits were also unsuitable for Johor due to differences in geography, climate, seasons, and surroundings from the fruit’s own country.
He went on to say that these elements would have a big impact on the fruit’s development, size, shape, and flavour.
According to Yosri, the Malaysian market was seeing a demand for non-local fruits due to dietary and lifestyle changes among customers, particularly those residing in metropolitan areas.
These fruits are also in demand from the agricultural downstream sector, where they are used to make juices, health foods, and isotonic beverages.
He said that there were over 25,000 registered fruit growers in Johor, with the top five fruits farmed being papaya, banana, durian, pineapple, and white guava.
When asked if the department would support anyone who wanted to pursue farming, Yosri responded that it would be willing to offer incentives and courses.
The agency plans training programmes for business owners who want to get into farming and related downstream operations every year.
Our responsibilities include disseminating agricultural information, facilitating technology transfer, and serving as the go-to source for farmers experiencing plant diseases.
Additionally, the agency offers soil analysis services to make sure crops may be grown in certain areas.
According to Yosri, the state and federal governments provide over RM20 million a year to support local farmers through a number of projects, including as advancing the fruit and vegetable growing sector, raising padi output, modernising, and implementing social networking activities.
In addition, the department offers people in need support in the form of infrastructure, irrigation supplies, machinery, seeds, fertiliser, pesticide, and farming knowledge.
According to Datuk Zahari Sarip, head of the Johor agricultural, agro-based industry, and rural development committee, the state produced 34.5% of the country’s harvests in 2022, making it the leading fruit producer.
Our 50,217-hectare farms yielded 772,317.4 tonnes of fruit last year.
“With fields covering 17,188.3ha, Johor is the second largest producer of vegetables behind Pahang, with 245,330 tonnes produced,” he stated.
According to Zahari, the state administration aims to boost food production, solidify Johor’s standing as the country’s food basket, and export food to neighbouring nations.
By 2027, we want to have increased fruit production by 33.61%, or 230,436 tonnes.
The papaya, durian, pineapple, banana, watermelon, Malaysian jackfruit, and coconut will be the main fruits.
“By 2027, we want to increase the harvests of vegetables by 39.9%, or 44,977 tonnes, with a focus on ladies finger, long beans, mustard leaves, cucumber, ginger, and chillies,” he stated.
The state government will collaborate with pertinent organisations to provide farmers with incentives in order to meet the objectives.
“To just a few, this entails offering agricultural land, fundamental infrastructure, seeds, technology, the Internet of Things, irrigation systems, machinery, equipment, and harvest gathering facilities.
In order to expand the market for local goods, we are also aiming to increase exports, similar to what we have done with Malaysian honey jackfruit (nangka madu).
Two local businesses want to export 100 containers, or around 500–600 tonnes, of fruit to China annually starting next year.
“We hope that nangka madu, like durian and pineapple, may become a global sensation.
He stated, “At the moment, we are exporting pineapples to Europe, Singapore, China, Japan, South Korea, Dubai, and Qatar.”
