By Gerald Lawson
SIBU, June 19: Now is the best time to buy pineapple as it is extremely cheap due to the glut in supply of the fruit.
Every year around this time, the market will be flooded with this tropical fruit that is rich in vitamins, enzymes and antioxidants.
Farmers in Sarikei, the pineapple town, will be selling the fruit here. There are also those from Mukah and Matu Daro who drive all the way to sell them here.
A Mukah resident who wished to be known only as Yusof, was spotted offering the fruit at down-to-earth prices at the parking lot near the Civic Centre.
He was selling the smaller size one at RM1 each. For a bundle of three, the price tag was RM5 and RM7 for 10.
“All these pineapples are from our farm in Mukah. It took me three hours by road from Mukah to here. I cannot sell them in Mukah as the fruit is already aplenty there,” he said.
Yusof came with his three siblings who assisted him to sell. The boot of his multi purpose vehicle was packed with pineapples.
A surgeon of a private medical specialist centre here, Dr Clement Cheng said pineapple is not only delicious but nutritious and cheap.
Dr Cheng who is also the chairman of Sibu Cancer Society, called on the people to consume more pineapples not only because of its nutritional value but also to support the farmers.
“I went to buy pineapples and at the same time also enquired about  some  general knowledge  about pineapples.
“When the seller told me that it would take more than a year for the pineapples to bear fruit and be sold, I was quite shocked. I thought it would only take a few months. Imagine such a big pineapple, three of them only sold for RM 10!” he said.
He said in the process of buying pineapples, he discovered that the work of the farmers is really tough.
“No matter what crops they planted, it would take a long time to harvest them and the price is not that attractive. Let’s appreciate the  work of the  pineapple farmers,” he added.-DayakDaily
