By WU VUIDE
KOTA KINABALU: President of the Sabah Durian and Fisheries Tropical Fruit Planters Association (MaSDA), Duane Evans, said they are working closely with the Agriculture Department to develop the fruit industry, including avocado cultivation, in the state.
“The department provides us with programmes that we then share with our members, who also act as mentors to smallholder farmers in their respective localities.
“That is how we expand agricultural programmes and drive further initiatives such as the Malaysia Good Agricultural Practices (MyGAP),” he said.
He said this when met during the recent launch of the local QAV1 (Quoin) avocado species by Deputy Chief Minister I and Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan.
The launch was held in conjunction with the 2025 National Farmers, Breeders and Fishermen Day (HPPNK) celebration at the Sabah International Convention Centre.
Duane said farmers are aiming to produce fruit year-round to avoid seasonal interruptions like those experienced with durian due to extreme weather changes.
“Durian season should ideally begin towards the end of the year.
“To address these challenges, we have studied how farmers in places like Thailand deal with similar issues.
“We then bring that technology back here to trial it, with the goal of eventually achieving at least two strong durian seasons per year,” he said.
For the time being, avocado cultivation in Sabah still requires a few more years to meet market demand.
“Currently, the avocado cultivation area spans about 330 hectares among our members.
“Each hectare yields between four and 10 tonnes in the first three years.
“Maybe we can produce around 1,000 tonnes per season next year from our members,” said Gerard Baxter, one of the avocado farmers from Tenom.
“On average, depending on the size of the farm, some farmers may be able to produce up to 10 tonnes,” added Gerard, noting that they have also embarked on educational tours overseas to improve yield.
MaSDA currently has over 170 members across Sabah.
