RAUB: Fraser’s Hill is set to be known as the new strawberry hub in the country after Cameron Highlands.
This follows the Raub district council’s success in growing 4,800 strawberry plants there since early this year in efforts to promote the hill resort as a tourist attraction for visitors from within the country and abroad.
Council secretary Mohd Pauzi Abu Hussaini said initially, they did not expect the strawberry plants to grow so well and produce high quality strawberries.
“All the plants were grown from January under a pilot project with the cooperation of locals. We did not expect that after three months, the fertigation technique would show result.
“We have harvested the strawberries twice. The fruit is large and sweet, as good as those from Cameron Highlands... we offered the strawberries for sale at RM60 per kilogramme and many people bought them,” he said when met here today.
Mohd Pauzi said they would plant another 30,000 strawberry seedlings in stages based on the positive response.
A farmer, Fariz Azwan Jamaluddin, 40, said the cooperation with the council helped him get a steady income.
“This project is very good as the council offers us a plot for only RM500 a month. At first, i was a little hesitant to participate in this project but now, I have absolutely no regrets. It has been an extremely fruitful endeavour,” he said.