KANGAR: A proposal to produce Perlis' iconic Harumanis mango outside its regular season is considered unrealistic in terms of demand and can negatively impact prices due to higher production costs.
State Agriculture, Plantation, and Food Industries Committee chairman Razali Saad said that it would be wiser to maintain the current peak harvesting season between April and May to ensure consistent demand.
"Between April and May, farmers harvest their produce, and that is when people eagerly anticipate buying the fruit. Shifting the harvest to December for year-round cultivation could lead to a lack of demand during the traditional season," he told reporters after presenting cash aid assistance to farmers affected by the flood disaster in Simpang Empat today.
Razali was responding to suggestions from some mango growers in the state to cultivate Harumanis year-round.
He also said that recent rainfall in Perlis had not significantly disrupted the cultivation schedule, although some newly blossoming flowers had fallen or turned black due to erratic weather.
During this year's harvest season, the local retail price for Harumanis ranged between RM25 and RM45 per kg, with the mango fetching an even higher price in the export market.
Perlis Harumanis is expected to generate over RM40 million in sales this year, a significant increase from last year's RM30 million.
Nearly 2,700 farmers in Perlis are cultivating Harumanis across some 1,700 hectares of orchards.