The Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority (FAMA) continues to intensify efforts on an ongoing basis to encourage people to eat local fruits to achieve the target of consuming 100 kilogrammes (kg) of fruit per person per year.

FAMA deputy director of Operations Datuk Sharifah Hashim said that so far the total fruit intake by Malaysians is still low at around 56kg per year per person compared to other countries that have already exceeded 100kg.

"FAMA has implemented various measures to achieve these objectives including collaboration with the Department of Agriculture and the Ministry of Health through campaigns on the importance of eating fruits.

"FAMA also uses other approaches such as exposing students in primary schools on the importance of taking this nutrition source," she told reporters after the agreement signing ceremony between FAMA and participants of the Ladang Kampong Banggol Agrotourism Contract Project.

The agreement ceremony involved 29 participants of Ladang Kampong Banggol Agrotourism Contract Project to ensure the market during the harvest season which began on April 6.

"Through this agreement, the market produce will be expanded and secured besides setting an example to other agricultural entrepreneurs to remain competitive," said Sharifah.

She said that with the signing of the agreement, FAMA will market about 95 percent of fragrant melon produce to several states, including Kuala Lumpur, Johor Bahru and Singapore.

Some 500 metric tonnes of fragrant melons are expected to be harvested on 24.3 hectares of farm area with a total purchase price of RM800,000.

In a related development, Sharifah said the production of local fruits in the country still needs to be improved to avoid dependence on imported fruits.

Meanwhile, a participant, Dollah Mamat, 72, said he was very grateful to have received a check for RM44,000 on the third day after his crop was harvested Thursday.

"The agricultural project has indeed been helpful in generating revenue for me since I joined in 2002, with an average income of about RM3,000 a month. The cooperation of various parties, especially FAMA has been helpful especially in marketing the produce," he said.

For the record, until this year there were 2,692 contract farming participants in Kelantan with a total farming area of 2,970 hectares. -- Bernama