FAMA buys RM375,000 worth of village durians to avoid glut

MACHANG: The Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority (FAMA) has spent RM375,000 for purchase of about 150 tonnes of the "Kampung" durian variety to prevent a glut and drop in the price of the king of fruits.

Its Kelantan director, Wan Nora Wan Ahmad said the agency bought the fruit from 600 durian orchard owners in the districts of Jeli, Tanah Merah, Kuala Krai and Pasir Puteh.

She said FAMA bought the fruit at RM2.50 per kg, compared with the farm price of RM2 per kg.

"Kelantan is the largest producer of the 'kampung' durian variety in the country, but the price has dropped due to the movement control, making it difficult to market the fruit to other states, especially in the West Coast," she told reporters after visiting a Durian Processing Centre at the FAMA Machang Office, here today.

She said FAMA had also appointed agents among the orchard owners to facilitate them to market the fruit directly to FAMA without going through the middleman.

She said durians bought from the orchard owners were taken to the processing centre at the FAMA Machang Office to be processed into durian paste, tempoyak and durian pulp.

"They (durian paste, tempoyak and durian pulp) are in high demand, especially by food entrepreneurs, in the making of their food products, such durian ice cream, cakes and others which have market in Singapore and also China," she added.

-- BERNAMA