By Siti Nurbaiyah Nadzmi
KUALA LUMPUR: The first consignment of Harumanis, a premium mango cultivar grown in Perlis, will arrive in Japan today, making it the first Malaysian fruit to break into Japan's imported fresh fruit market.
This will coincide with the arrival of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, his first visit to Japan since taking office as prime minister a year ago.
Japanese Ambassador to Malaysia Masahiko Horie described both events as significant and historic.
He said there would be another four consignments of Harumanis on April 21, 25 and 28, weighing a total of 3.05 tonnes.
Horie said a plant quarantine officer was based at the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (Mardi) laboratory in Serdang to observe the treatment process before the mangoes were packed and flown from Kuala Lumpur International Airport.
"We are confident that Harumanis will be accepted by Japanese consumers going by the non-fibrous texture, sweetness, flavour and fragrance," Horie told the New Sunday Times.
The fruits were harvested from the Perlis Agriculture Department's orchard in Bukit Bintang, Kangar. Strict import protocols required that the mangoes undergo vapour heat treatment to eliminate fruit fly larvae.
Premium Harumanis weighs about 350gm per fruit and is packed into 5kg boxes.
Horie said the sole importer and distributor had drawn up a marketing strategy to introduce Harumanis to the Japanese through restaurants and specialised supermarkets.
"Mangoes imported from other parts of the world, especially Thailand, Mexico and the Philippines, are usually available all year round but Harumanis from Perlis is seasonal, making it a rare delicacy."
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