Spice up farm produce

Spice up farm produce
Friday July 9, 2010

MALAYSIAN farmers should be bold enough to cultivate new vegetable and fruit species to provide consumers with a wider choice, said Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority (Fama) senior assistant director (regulatory) Suhaimi Ismail said.

He said the farmers were generally contented with their existing varieties as they were confident the wholesalers would buy their supplies.

He, however, said many farmers dared not plant new vegetable and fruit species for fear the wholesalers might not purchase them.

Cameron Highlands Strawberries

RM70 Million Worth Of Strawberries A Year From Cameron Highlands
July 12, 2009

CAMERON HIGHLANDS, July 12 (Bernama) -- The 30 hectares of land in Cameron Highlands grown with strawberries is capable of producing RM70 million worth of the fruit each year.

Deputy Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Minister Datuk Johari Baharum said the achievement was due to the proactive measures taken by the ministry to ensure that the quality of strawberries produced here was on par with that of imported strawberries.

"If previously the strawberries grown here were smaller and rather sour, now they are bigger, sweet and more delicious.

"Because of their better quality, the fruit has begun to be exported to Singapore," he said after the launching of the "One District, One Industry" programme, here, Sunday.

Johari said the strawberry industry would grow more rapidly through downstream activities like producing strawberry jam, pickled and candied strawberries, strawberry ice-cream, dried strawberries, and strawberry-flavoured tea and cordial.

He said the strawberry industry should be encouraged and given serious attention as it could help raise the income of local residents.

-- Bernama

Agro-delight discovery tour

Agro-delight discovery tour
Saturday January 5, 2008

There are numerous flower, vegetable and strawberry farms accessible to visitors in Cameron Highlands, but if you’d rather not read a map trying to find them, why not opt for Titiwangsa Tours & Travel’s Agro-Delight Tour?

The tour takes about 3½ hours and covers the Cactus Valley and visits to different agricultural farms for hydroponic lettuce, strawberries, flowers, watercress, and more.

Be sure to wear comfortable walking shoes, as there is a good amount of walking up and down steep steps and terraced footpaths.

Very vivid: Organic vegetables are harvested only after 70 days. Meanwhile, strawberry farms practise the pick-pay-and-eat concept.

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The Cactus Valley is home to a wide variety of unusual plant species, like oddly shaped cacti, lantern flower (otherwise known as “freesia”), passion fruit (also known as “lovers’ fruit”), and even grapes.

Visitors will learn about different vegetable farming methods practised in the highlands – aeroponic, hydroponic, conventional and organic.

Hydroponic is a modern method and often the costliest, but vegetables are easily grown using water instead of soil.

Nutrients are fed to the plants via a circulated water system, giving them adequate oxygen. Protected from direct sunlight, the greens are grown on neat rows of raised elongated planters and protected from pests with strategically placed “fly paper” that lure insects to its adhesive surface.

The most popular vegetable grown using this method are the salad types, such as red and green coral lettuces, butterhead and Romaine.

According to our guide, organic vegetables are grown with chemical-free fertilisers and some form of crop rotation.

Vegetables require 3½ months to grow using traditional farming method, so most conventional farms today opt for intensive “open terrace” cultivation, which shortens the growth period to just 45 days. Organic methods, though, take slightly longer, yielding a proper harvest only after 65-70 days.

The organic vegetables produced here are mainly broccoli, mini bok choy, Japanese spinach, Chinese cabbage, leeks, iceberg lettuce and peas.

Did you know that all the strawberry farms in Cameron Highlands practise the pick-pay-and-eat concept? Camerons is possibly one of the few places in the world where the fruits are available year-round. Replanting is done every three years when the soil becomes too acidic.

Our strawberry plant species are mostly imported from Australia, Holland, Taiwan and the US. Our next stop was at a chrysanthemum flower farm.

Despite the costly capital outlay required to start a flower farm (up to RM3.2mil), the flower industry is the most profitable of them all here. We also viewed a watercress farm, where the greens were grown on open terraces with constantly running water. Harvesting is carried out after 60 days.

After the enlightening Agro-Delights Tour, we appreciated the fresh, crisp greens served for our steamboat dinner even more. Instead of seeing them as just an essential component of our diet, we saw the vegetables as the fruits of many diligent farmers’ labour in Cameron Highlands.

o Get more information on the Morning Madness Tour by Cameron Secrets and Titiwangsa Tours & Travel’s Agri-Delights Tour from this informative website: www.cameronhighlands.com

Where to stay

Here’s a list of places to stay during your visit to Cameron Highlands. If you are stopping by for a meal, check out these restaurants.

Century Pines Hotel
Lot 42, Jalan Masjid
39000 Tanah Rata
Cameron Highlands
Tel: (05) 491 5115
Fax: (05) 491 1115
One of the newer hotels which are family-friendly. Easy access to eateries and shops nearby.

Casa de la Rosa
Lot 48, Jalan Circular,
39000 Tanah Rata
Cameron Highlands
Tel: (05) 4911 333
Fax: (05) 4915 500
A small but cosy property in mock-Tudor design. WiFi access and spacious family rooms available.

The Lakehouse Cameron Highlands
30th Mile
39200 Ringlet
Cameron Highlands
Tel: (05) 4956 152
Fax (05) 4956 213
A charming Tudor-style boutique resort with elegant, colonial-style furnishings. Ideal for honeymooners and couples looking for a quiet retreat.

Steamboat Restaurant
26 Jalan Besar
Brinchang
Cameron Highlands
Tel: (05) 4912 380
Steamboat and a whole range of hearty Chinese dishes. Very popular with visitors especially on weekends so go early if you want to get a table.

The T Café
No 4 (1st Floor)
Main Road Tanah Rata
Cameron Highlands
Tel: (05) 4914 018
A simple café that serves soup, salads, sandwiches, Western and Asian dishes like chicken chop, fish and chips, noodles and fried rice. Try the freshly baked scones for tea.

Restaurant Palm Leaf Garden
3 Bandar Baru Brinchang
Cameron Highlands
Tel : (05) 4914 208
Reasonably priced local and Thai noodle or rice dishes with a selection of Western delights.

-- The Star LifeStyle

Heavenly Highlands

Heavenly Highlands
Sunday August 26, 2007
By Helen Ong

Cameron beckons with its calming scenery, beautiful gardens and farms.

THERE’S a good reason why the Cameron Highlands is one of Malaysia’s most popular resorts. In fact, there are plenty of good reasons.

The new road from Simpang Pulai makes for quite a pleasant drive, and despite what people say about global warming and higher temperatures there, the cool weather is obviously the greatest draw.

During the day, it is sunny but pleasantly mild, and warm enough to go about in shorts and T-shirt, although a cardigan on standby is always advisable.

Surreal English experience: You could be in Surrey.

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It definitely cools down when the sun sets, but the low temperature and high altitude will give you a good night’s rest. However, do have your bath during the day when the ambient temperature is still comfortable enough to shed your clothes.

Cameron Highlands produces a lot of our vegetables not just because of its altitude but also because of its high rainfall. Chances are it will pour when you are there, so don’t forget your waterproofs or umbrella.

The beautiful scenery and lovely houses like the newly-refurbished Cameron Highlands Resort and Ye Olde Smokehouse will transport you to Shakespearean times in Stratford-upon-Avon with their black and white mock-Tudor buildings.

Combine the first two and you will see why it’s very pleasant even if you do nothing more than go for a gentle stroll after a meal, or a more energetic hike around the golf course – the cool weather will ensure you don’t get hot under the collar, (literally, if not metaphorically). The 18-hole public golf course is relatively cheap, and although there are no buggies, the walk is not arduous.

Panoramic: Visitors to the Cameron Bharat Tea House located on the road side between Tanah Rata and Ringlet in Cameron Highlands will be treated to this breathtaking view of the plantation’s rolling hills and manicured tea bushes.

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There are also surprisingly many other things to see and do, like the Cactus Farm, Rose Centre, Butterfly Farm, etc. At the Boh Plantation in Sungai Palas, learn about how it was started by Englishman J.A. Russell and visit the original 1920s factory. Enjoy the calm scenery from the viewing platform – tea, tea, everywhere – and purchase traditional and flavoured varieties at their gift shop.

Take the opportunity to visit some vegetable and flower farms on the outskirts of town – the greens (and greens, yellow, reds and other colours) are amazing. When you tuck into a crunchy sweet corn plucked straight off the plant, you’ll understand why it got the name in the first place.

According to Kodimani, who runs the Kasihmanis Strawberry Farm, one of the oldest, just outside Brinchang, there are now many places which produce this delicious temperate fruit.

Luscious: Strawberries galore!

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Some invite you to “self pluck” (sic), and enjoy a host of by-products, from homemade jams to milk shakes and ice cream. They are so plentiful that many restaurants offer fresh strawberry juice, thick and delicious, which makes a pleasant change from orange or apple.

Every other shop seems to be cashing in on this speciality. Apart from jam, you can buy strawberry pillows, balls, balloons, toys, mugs and jugs ? the list is endless. Some are cute, others a bit kitsch and a few are downright tacky, but there’ll be something to please everyone back home!

And if you go to the Pasar Malam, held on Friday and Saturday nights, vegetables and flowers are abundant and cheap. Go near closing time and a big bag of mixed vegetables will cost just RM10.

An important consideration is food, of course, and Steamboat is popular as it is ideal for the weather, and there are many restaurants which offer this – just take a stroll along Brinchang and you’ll see.

However, there are other things on offer, from Uncle Chow’s in Tanah Rata which has a good selection of local specialities to many other cuisines.

Cheery: A burst of sunshine from yellow chrysanthemums.

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Continue the slightly surreal English experience with classic ‘Afternoon Tea and Scones’ which are available everywhere ? with strawberry jam, of course.

It’s a wonderful place to go for some R&R, but don’t even attempt it during public or school holidays, as locals were happily recounting tales of four-hour long traffic jams stretching from just Kampung Raja to Brinchang. Parking, accommodation and restaurants become scarce resources and command much higher prices.

It’s even more enjoyable when there’s a group of you. As the night sets in, it’s very cosy to draw the curtains, have a few drinks, for medicinal purposes only, of course, play mahjong or some other games. If you’re looking for some away-time, then head for Cameron Highlands. -- Sunday Metro.

Fake guava-apples being sold

Fake guava-apples being sold
Tuesday May 15, 2007

PENANG: Fake guava-apple hybrids are being sold openly at fruit stalls in Cameron Highlands.

Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) president S.M. Mohamed Idris said the so-called hybrids posed a potential health threat to the people because of the use of artificial colouring.

Fruity concern: Mohamed Idris showing fruits that are supposed to be guava-apple hybrids in Penang yesterday. — Bernama

“It can also taint the country’s image because locals and tourists are fooled into thinking that it is a natural hybrid from Cameron Highlands. There is no such hybrid fruit in Cameron Highlands,” he told a press conference here yesterday.

Mohamed Idris said the fruits were being sold at RM10 per pair.

He said artificial colouring was used to fool the people into thinking that the guavas were jambu-apple hybrids.

He claimed that colouring agents brilliant blue and tartrazine were mixed for the light-green effect while carmoisine was used for red colouring.

Mohamed Idris said studies in Britain had linked tartrazine and carmoisine to temper tantrums, poor concentration, hyperactivity and allergic reaction in youngsters.

He said the Food Standards Agency in Britain had been reviewing the safety of such additives since 2000.

“Although the colouring substances are currently permitted under the (Malaysian) Food Act 1983, we need to question why fresh fruits are allowed to be coloured and modified?” he added.

Mohamed Idris said CAP had received complaints from foreign and local tourists who felt cheated after the fruits went bad within a day or two.

He said CAP wrote to the Cameron Highlands health office and the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry last week.

When contacted, farmers in Cameron Highlands said they were puzzled by claims that the fruits were being sold there.

Indian Farmers Association of Cameron Highlands president P. Viswanathan pointed out that guavas and jambu-apples were not even grown there.

“There is no such thing. If tourists are complaining about these fake hybrids, the Consumers Association of Penang should show proof,” he said.

Federation of Vegetable Farmers Association secretary Chay Ee Mong also said the claims were “news to him,” adding that the problem might have started from fruit hawkers, not the farmers. -- Bernama.