For some 5 years (1990-1995) I was doing research work on technologies to grow subtropical and temperate fruits for the highland tropics. The venue was MARDI Cameron Highlands Station. The fruits covered include citrus, persimmon, apple, peach, strawberry guava, macadamia and others. The first two crops are of commercial value. Strawberry growing is already commercialised at that time, so we did little work on it.
Almost ripe fruits of Rome Beauty apple variety. It is suitable for the highlands but fruits are a bit sour. We have to test other varieties such as Anna, Manalagi, Granny Smith.
Rome Beauty.
After fruiting, to induce flowering again, all the leaves have to be defoliated manually or chemically. The branches have been trained by bending them, also to induce flowering.
A bearing young apple tree under temperate climate (Canada).
Rome Beauty apple is being grown in at Bakelalan in the Kelabit Highlands. Apple growers, Mutang Tagal (right) and relative at their farm.
Batu, in the highlands of Malang, Jawa Timur is apple country in Indonesia. Manalagi, Rome Beauty, and Anna varieties are being grown commercially. Apart from apple, apricot (below) is being grown but not commercially as apple. Malaysia import their off-grade green apple for fresh juice making.
Okinawa clingstone peach, a low chilling requirement variety of peach is fruitful in Cameron Highlands. Fruits are of poor quality. Suitable for rootstock.
Macadamia, a subtropical plant is fruitful in Cameron Highlands.
I feel the challenge cumulating in me to develop a temperate and subtropical fruit farm in Cameron Highlands in integration with other crops and animals with interplay of agrotourism to be a profitable venture. Would Pahang could allocate some acres since they have frozen land applications for sometimes?
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