adminKANGAR: The hot weather that hit Malaysia this year has given an advantage to Harumanis mango fruit farmers in Perlis as the situation has affected the fruit harvest compared to last year.
A Bernama survey found that on average, fruit farmers described the hot weather as helping the Harumanis production process to be better, including improving the quality of its sweeter taste.
The owner of the Harumanis orchard, which covers an area of approximately 0.64 hectares in Hutan Temin and Hutan Lembah near here, Abdul Hanan Saad, 42, said he was happy with the fruit harvest from his two orchards, which had doubled compared to the 2025 season.
“The Harumanis plantation that I cultivate in Hutan Temin is about 0.32 hectares and in Hutan Lembah is about 0.32 hectares. The total number of Harumanis trees in these two plantations is about 200.
“I can say that the hot weather this year has contributed to a large fruit harvest. I can estimate that I will be able to harvest about six (metric) tonnes from mid-March to the end of the season in June, compared to only about three tonnes last season,” he said.
Abdul Hanan said most of the Harumanis flowers on the trees in his two gardens were beautiful and not damaged due to fungal infections caused by high humidity following the hot weather, compared to the erratic rainy weather early last year which disrupted the pollination process.
“Last season, when the fruit was pollinated, there was rain, and many Harumanis flowers were damaged. The flowers would fall off and get fungus if exposed to rain. For me, in terms of caring for and managing this tree, it is easier in the hot weather this year,” he said.
In fact, he believes the fruit tastes sweeter and most customers who buy Harumanis from his garden also express the same opinion.
Abdul Hanan said the Harumanis farm, which he has been cultivating for the past four years, also received guidance from the Perlis Agriculture Department and the Perlis Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority (FAMA).
Meanwhile, another Harumanis entrepreneur, Zainol Abidin Ahmad, 71, said the hot weather this year meant that crops in an area of about six hectares in Mata Ayer near here could be harvested earlier, around 45 to 50 days compared to the normal maturity period of between 58 to 60 days.
He admitted that the hot weather had increased the production of Harumanis, but his party faced challenges in terms of managing the fruit because it ripened too quickly on the tree before it could be picked, thus causing the fruit to fall and spoil.
Zainol Abidin said that the hot weather conditions, among other things, can reduce insect pest attacks, but monitoring still needs to be carried out continuously to ensure the quality of the fruit is guaranteed.
“If we are slow to monitor, the fruit will fall and spoil. This year, a lot of it has happened because it matured faster than in previous years,” he said.
He said there were about 400 Harumanis trees he cultivated and the fruit yield was estimated to reach more than 10,000 so far for the 2026 season, and of that total, about 5,000 were successfully sold while the quality of the fruit this season was also better with a sweeter taste as customers had informed.
Meanwhile, Perlis FAMA Director Mohd Anzara Azizan said the supply and sales of Harumanis in the state showed an increase compared to last year, driven by higher production and market demand which remained strong.
“As of today, current production has reached 1.36 million seeds, equivalent to 610.73 metric tons, which is approximately 61 percent of the overall season’s expectations.”
“In comparison to last year, we have seen a significant increase in both the amount of fruit produced and the sales value this season is more encouraging due to more stable supply and strengthened marketing channels,” he said.
— BERNAMA
