Harum Manis Sales Skyrocket

By Hasnah Jusid KANGAR (Perlis, Malaysia), June 8 (Bernama) -- Harum Manis mangoes are so popular that it is even pre-booked online, way before it ripens. The cultivar, which name literally means aromatic and sweet, can only be grown on the soils of certain parts of Perlis, a tiny northwestern state of Malaysia. It is known for its rich sweet flavour and succulent flesh. Its season starts in early April and ends in early June. It is eagerly awaited not only by Malaysians, but countries like Japan and Thailand too. GOOD PROFIT Such rare mango cultivars are usually in high demand, and this undoubtedly spells lucrative business for growers. Ismail Lebai Ayub, 55, is one of the growers of Harum Manis and Sala mangoes. His farm in Kampung Baru Panggas, Chuping (a small town in Malaysia's state of Perlis), generated an income of nearly US$26,574 (RM100,000) for this season alone. He has worked the farm for five years, with the help of the Perlis Department of Agriculture. Harum Manis mangoes can sell for between US$4 (RM18) and US$7 (RM30) a kilogramme. Ismail said one Harum Manis tree, on average, could bear 200 fruits, resulting in a potential income of US$1,594 (RM6,000) a tree. As at June 4, some 16,000 Harum Manis mangoes have been sold. Ismail also grafts the two cultivars grown on his farm in the bid to increase productivity. "The Sala tree usually has low yield, so grafting the branches of Harum Manis to the tree can remedy the problem and save on land usage,” he said to Bernama. HIGHLY SOUGHT-AFTER Many are willing to drive over 500km to buy the fruit. Mohd Zain Abdullah, 50, from Seremban (the capital of the Malaysian state of Negeri Sembilan), is one of them. His journey resulted in him buying 3kg of the fruit at a price of US$23 (RM90), to be gifted to close friends and family. That may sound like a lot, but a kilogramme of Harum Manis is between only one to three fruits. Another visitor from Seremban, Baharuddin Mat Jahi, 51, even bought a Harum Manis seedling home to plant in his front yard. “I came here to buy this often talked about mango and to enjoy the state’s famous mango sticky rice delicacy,” he said. Meanwhile, Zarinah Abd Shukor, 51, said the high price of the fruit was justified, given the rich taste of the mango and its rarity. All three were interviewed by Bernama at the Bukit Temiang Agro-Tourism Centre in Beseri (a small town in the middle part of Perlis, Malaysia). VARIETY OF HARUM MANIS PRODUCTS The operator of Muna De Café at the tourism centre Fariza Saad, 44, said the Harum Manis was a valuable tourism asset and source of income to the state. The best sellers at her café were the mango sticky rice, Harum Manis mango cordial and fresh juice. The café also sells Harum Manis mangoes at a rate of RM30 per kg. “The visitors who have traveled quite a distance would usually seek to buy Harum Manis mangos and products to bring home as gifts,” she said. Fariza predicted the income from the sales of this season's yield of Harum Manis and its products to be around US$7,973 (RM30,000). (US$1 = RM3.76) To prevent a dip in sales after the Harum Manis season ends, the café also commercialises the products of other mango cultivars and local fruits such as cempedak and durian. HARUM MANIS TOUR The Director of the Perlis Department of Agriculture Zulkepli Amin Mat Jusoh said the Harum Manis festival that was launched May 1 attracted over 30,000 visitors. Unlike the previous years, this year, visitors can get on a guided train tour around the 60-hectare Harum Manis Excellence Centre for a fare of US$0.79 (RM3) a person. Visitors would eventually be brought to the fruit purchasing area at the centre run by the Department of Agriculture. “The tour will allow visitors to learn more about the way Harum Manis is collected and processed as well as ways to identify a bad fruit and the differences between the Sala and Harum Manis,” he said. He said this year’s sales was much higher than the previous years, so much so that the department had to limit the sales of mangoes per person. This is to allow every visitor a chance to purchase the fruit. This season saw a yield of 3,200 tonnes of Harum Manis from 655 hectares of farms across Perlis. “The Agricultural Department’s farm alone has produced 150 tonnes of yield this year, compared with 100 tonnes in the previous year,” he said. -- BERNAMA