Durian Fiesta to be annual event: Shabery Cheek

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Durian Fiesta programme will become an annual event to boost the local fruits and local fruits industry in the country.

Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek said the yearly event would be held every August in conjunction with the fruits season and National Day celebration.

"Today marks a beginning to a durian fiesta event and we want to turn it into an annual event. We want to cultivate a culture among Malaysians to make August as durian-eating month, as well as to enliven the National Day celebration," he told reporters after launching the Durian Fiesta 2016 (DF2016) event at Dataran Merdeka here, today.
He said this was because the durian export industry in the country had showed a positive development after exports reached RM60 million last year and that the government was targeting the export for the 'king of fruits' to rise up to RM400 million in several years to come.

In the meantime, the three-day event at Dataran Merdeka, which began yesterday, is expected to record RM1 million in sales.
Besides Kuala Lumpur, the programme is also being held for three days beginning today in Raub, Pahang; Gopeng, Perak; Balik Pulau, Penang; Singapore; and Hong Kong.

Shabery said the event, spearheaded by the Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority (Fama), was well-received from the private sector by ordering Fama-produced durian for such programmes at their offices.

Apart from durian party as its main event, the DF2016 also saw other activities being held such as local fruits sales, durian-based products sales, cooking demo using durian and durian-eating competition.

Earlier, Shabery had flagged off participants of the 'Malaysian International Durian Hunt 2016' and 'Durian Fun Run' at the launching ceremony.

Also present was Fama chairman Datuk Badruddin Amiruldin. — Bernama