HOW LONG HIGHLAND VEGE AS A WASTE

VEGETABLES and other fresh produce from Cameron Highlands headed for the Selayang wholesale market are at risk of going to waste again following the imposition of the enhanced movement control order (MCO) in the area. The
Cameron Highlands Malay Farmers Association president, Datuk Syed Abdul Rahman Syed Abdul Rashid, said supplies that were sent out to the market could not be returned to the farms due to the lack of storage space. “If the market is to be closed for two to three days, it will affect the farmers here. We have daily crops and cannot afford to have these become overripe, ” he said when contacted. “Some cannot last for more than two days after being harvested without proper storage, ” he said, adding that about 30 to 40 lorries loaded with supplies were sent out from the highlands daily. Syed Abdul Rahman said he would talk to the Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority (Fama), hoping to use their cold rooms in Brinchang to store the harvest temporarily. "There are two cold rooms at the highlands, but these can only hold about one day’s harvest of vegetables. “Farmers from Sungai Terla, Lojing and Kampung Raja might find it hard to keep their supplies, ” he said. “There’s nothing much we can do. We just need to adhere to the MCO, ” he said. The closure of the wholesale market, also known as the Kuala Lumpur wholesale market, has been extended to Friday. The market was supposed to open yesterday after it was closed on Sunday and Monday for disinfection. This article reported in ""Anim Agriculture Technology'' blog a news titled ''Highland vegetables in danger of going to waste again'' to share.

There have also been reports saying that the market would remain open, while wholesalers claim they have been barred from entering. Cameron Highlands Vegetable Growers Association secretary Chay Ee Mong said he believes that the Kuala Lumpur City Hall had barred people from entering the market because of the disinfection exercise. “I think some rural and sub-urban areas will be affected as sellers collect the supplies from the market. “The farmers here understand what’s going on, but could not do much, ” he said, adding that other issues faced by the industry included the limited market operation times and delayed transportation of supplies due to roadblocks. “Many wholesalers, including those at the highlands, are already starting to cut down their orders to minimise losses as businesses have been affected by the MCO, ” he said. He also said that farmers, while still able to churn out produce normally for now, continued to be plagued by manpower issues. “I hope there can be a better solution so that the people can have access to the vegetables, ” he said. Source: The Star

Thanks.

By,

M ANim Hosnan,

Senior Agronomist,

Precint 11, Putrajaya,

Malaysia.

(June 2020).