By Yussof J. Imbang
TONGOD: “Durian Merah” is not only a nutritious, tropical, exotic fruit but also has the potential to be highlighted as a new food product in this country.
The uniqueness of the durian merah inspired the Kuamut Representative, Datuk Masiung Banah, to propose to the Sabah Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Industry (MAFFI) to conduct a study through new technology on the varieties of exotic tree seeds.
He is optimistic that modern agronomic technology is able to produce high-quality durian merah seeds with the size of a shady and low bee tree compared to current traditional plants.
The deliciousness of the durian merah filling is not only a traditional food among the Sungai people in Tongod, Kinabatangan, Telupid and Beluran, but also a sought-after food for taste lovers in Sabah and Sarawak.
The durian merah filling is usually sautéed while adding a little flavouring to make ‘sambal’, and it is the most popular menu item in the northern part of Sabah, in addition to having the potential to penetrate the food market in the Asian region.
The chairman of the Sedco Group at the ministerial level urged MAFFI to conduct research on new agronomic grafting varieties to produce shady seeds as well as promote them as domesticated crops in the agricultural industry in the Sabah Region.
Masiung is confident that MAFFI minister Datuk Jamawi Jaafar, who has extensive experience in the durian-based agriculture industry, is able to highlight the red durian variety as a modern cultural crop.
According to him, when the durian merah becomes the main crop in the state, the production of the exotic fruit will increase and the market will expand.
He explained that the heritage crops that are the traditional favourite foods of the Sungai community in the four northern districts of Sabah are seasonal crops.
The unique thing is that the durian merah fruit will not fall even if the fruit is ripe.
The big and tall trees had to use the services of people who were good at climbing to pick the fruit.
The deliciousness of durian merah with a sweet, fatty taste and low sugar content with high yields of up to 200 seeds per tree – of course it has great potential as a unique new agrotourism product.
