CAMERON HIGHLANDS, Feb 8 (Sin Chew Daily) — Despite slashing the price to half, Cameron Highlands farmers have no choice but to discard unsold strawberry due to sluggish sale during the Movement Control Order.

Cameron Highlands' Vegetable Farmers Organization president Datuk Chai Kok Lim said February and March are the harvest season for strawberry but farmers can't sell it now.

The extension of MCO means the farmers are likely to face more financial losses, said Chai.

In an interview with Sin Chew Daily, Chai said 80% of the strawberry was sold to tourists visiting Cameron Highlands.

Strawberry grown in Cameron Highlands now has no visitors to sell to.

While 20% of the strawberry produced in Cameron Highlands is sold at local fruit stalls, cafes, bakeries and tea shops, orders for it have declined significantly as dining-in is banned during MCO 2.0.

In the past, demand for strawberry peaked during this time of the year whereby a kilogram of strawberry would fetch between RM20 and RM30.

Farmers are now unable to sell the strawberry even if the price has been slashed to only RM10 to RM12 a kilo.

"During last year's MCO, we made strawberry jam and ice-cream. Now demand for these products have dropped too," he said. 

Zhuang Wen Gui, owner of EQ Strawberry Farm in Brinchang, said the impact of MCO2.0 was even greater than MCO.

Farmers have incurred bigger losses now due to the sluggish sale.

Orders from supermarkets in Klang Valley have been slow due to weak demand as strict MCO measures limit the number of shoppers.

"Strawberry is expensive and its demand dips because shoppers no longer have strong purchasing power," he said.