5,000ha for Musang King
KOTA KINABALU: Sabah aims to be the biggest producer of Musang King durians as the state government has identified 5,000 hectares in Tawau that will be used solely for the farming of the popular ‘king of fruits’.
Assistant Agriculture and Food Industry Minister Dr Daud Yusof said the farming process could start within the next two years, pending the completion of all relevant procedures.
“We are now in the planning process to reach that direction. Development plans are already in place. All we have to do now is to wait for an agreement to be reached.
“This can actually start latest by next year, provided that all plans were to run smoothly,” he told reporters after officiating at the Musang King Durian Marketing and Farming Course 2019.
Daud said the course was aimed at promoting the potential of Musang King durians among the local farming businesses in the state.
He reckoned that Sabah is capable of being the biggest supplier of Musang King durians in the region as the fruit has been constantly gaining more popularity, especially among the tourists from China.
“We are also planning to turn durian farming into one of the state’s main sources of economy in the next five years,” added Daud.
Earlier in his speech, Daud revealed that today’s technology had paved the way for Musang King durians to grow just within five years, compared to the olden days where it would take around ten years.
“Within five years, the Musang King could already be harvested.
“To ensure that the safety and quality these durians is always maintained, all farmers must be equipped with the latest technical skills and research knowledge to do so,” he said.
Over 300 participants from all around Sabah and some of them even came from as far as Sarawak attended the course.
Also present in the event were Assistant Trade and Industry Minister Azhar Matussin and Fama Sabah director Ribin Wahid.