Declining yields worry strawberry farmers in Cameron Highlands

 

Farmer Shaun Kyle puts strawberries on display for visitors to purchase.

CAMERON HIGHLANDS: A Cameron Highlands strawberry farmer has been forced to open his farm to tourists to make ends meet after suffering declining yields of the fruit in recent times.

Kasimanis strawberry farmer Shaun Kyle said strawberry yields have dwindled recently due to changing weather patterns.

“There are days when the temperature rises above 22 degrees, while on other days, it is just too cold. The ideal temperature for strawberries is between 16 and 22 degrees.

“A hotter climate will cause strawberries to shrink in size, and when it is too cold there will not be enough yield,” he told FMT.

Recently, Kyle has been providing tours around his farm to supplement his income.

“These days, we cannot solely depend on income from strawberry production anymore. We need to find alternative ways to sustain our business,” he told FMT.

Kyle said a lot of pressure is placed on his farm to supply sufficient strawberries, leaving him reliant on help from other farmers to make up for any shortfall.

Some farmers have even resorted to purchasing imported strawberries to sell to consumers, he said.

Meanwhile, Raju Hill strawberry farm owner, Selvaraj V said the monsoon season coupled with climate change has contributed to colder weather at Cameron Highlands, resulting in reduced yields.

Raju Hill strawberry farm owner Selvaraj V says the monsoon season coupled with climate change has brought colder weather to Cameron Highlands.

“The weather patterns nowadays are drastically different. We used to harvest between 200kg and 300kg worth of strawberries on a good day when the weather was sunny, but recently we have only managed to harvest 30kg a day,” he told FMT.

Selvaraj’s farm already offers free tours, so he is unable to rely on tourist dollars for extra income.

Regional Environmental Awareness Cameron Highlands (REACH) president Dilip Martin said the highlands were overdeveloped, with many hills in the vicinity levelled.

Regional Environmental Awareness Cameron Highlands (REACH) president Dilip Martin says yields have been impacted by changing weather as well as deforestation in the area.

“What was once Gunung Jasa is now gone. The government is developing a 1Malaysia project there. Land in the town of Ringlet is also being reduced for a project.

“The temperature in Cameron Highlands used to be between 16 and 17 degrees. Presently, it is 18 to 21 degrees, and in the future, it could rise to between 22 and 25 degrees,” he told FMT.

Dilip called for the government to put a stop to indiscriminate deforestation in Cameron Highlands to counteract the effects of climatic changes.

He also wants the applicable laws revised to impose harsher punishments on those involved in deforestation.

The current penalty for forest encroachment is a RM10,000 fine or a three-year jail term or both. - FMT