KLANG: Thailand and Japan have been used as reference points in research and development (R&D) for seasonal fruits to achieve year-round production.

Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu (pic) said the effort, undertaken by the Agriculture Department and the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (Mardi), is in line with the campaign to promote local fruits and vegetables.

“We are carrying out R&D to produce new seeds and so on.

“The Mardi durian, for example, was produced recently in Kuala Kangsar.

“Delicious (and) high quality,” he said when launching the National Campaign to Eat More Local Fruits and Vegetables at the four-day Fama Fest 2025@ Selangor here yesterday.

Mohamad said the ministry is very serious about boosting the popularity of local fruits among Malaysians.

As part of the effort, he said the government decided that local fruits must be served at official functions as a show of support for local farmers.

“During my visit to Thailand as Defence Minister (May 2018 to February 2020), I was served cuisine made with local fruits and vegetables throughout my time there.

“The same goes for Japan – almost 100% local,” he said, Bernama reported.

Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority (Fama) chairman Aminuddin Zulkipli said the fest, which featured 50 local entrepreneurs and drew more than 40,000 visitors, recorded a sales value of over RM800,000.

Since its launch in 2017, the Fama Fest has been a catalyst for the economic growth of agri-entrepreneurs, he said.

Last year’s event saw the participation of 949 entrepreneurs and attracted more than 492,000 visitors nationwide, generating RM8.8mil in sales.

This year, the target is RM5.3mil in sales with 265,000 visitors and the involvement of 383 entrepreneurs across six locations.