PUTRAJAYA: The online sale of Harumanis mangoes received an encouraging response, with a sales value of RM22 million from April until yesterday, said Agriculture Department director-general, Datuk Mohd Nasir Warris.
During the period, he said that the production of Harumanis by 2,415 farmers under the Agriculture Department was 1,174 metric tonnes, with a current sales value of RM29.3 million, of which 669.58 metric tonnes of the total production was sold online.
“This shows that the response of Malaysians to Harumanis is very encouraging, especially through the online platforms.
“Hopefully, people can continue to give support by buying these special mangoes, regardless of whether they are sold online. Seize the opportunity to enjoy Harumanis because it is only available once a year, from April to June,” he said in a press conference here, today.
Agriculture and Food Industries Minister, Datuk Seri Dr Ronald Kiandee, was previously reported to have said that a total of 3,336 tonnes of Harumanis mangoes are expected to be produced this year, with a sales value of RM66.7 million.
To encourage people to buy online, Mohd Nasir said that the Agriculture Department had entered into a strategic partnership with courier service companies, such as Pos Malaysia, Citylink, Line Clear and Skynet, to ensure that the mangoes could be delivered to buyers throughout Malaysia.
He said that, as a result of the strategic collaboration, several improvements were made, including the company’s assurance that the delivery of the special mangoes would not exceed three days.
“These fruits are also placed in special boxes so that they reach buyers in good condition,” he said.
Mohd Nasir advised the public to purchase the special mangoes through a legitimate distributor, such as Agrobazaar Online, to avoid being cheated by irresponsible people.
“We found that that there are traders who use the name Harumanis even though it is another type of mango, for example, they use the name of Harumanis Cambodia, it is actually of ‘mangga susu’ and the price is lot cheaper at around RM6 per kilogramme only,” he said. — Bernama
