BANTING, 16 Nov: The soursop plantation project by the residents in Kampung Sungai Lang Baru received the attention of the state government.

This small-scale project was first operated in groups a year ago is expected to produce its first yield early next year.

The Exco for Infrastructure, Public Amenities, Agricultural Modernisation and Agro-based Industries, Zaidy Abdul Talib, said that the effort should be emulated and could possibly become a large-scale plantation project if it is widely cultivated.

“This effort received good response from the Selangor Department of Agriculture and I have asked them to focus on a marketing study so that in seven months, this plantation will produce its first yield.

“We will also spread this project to other land, thus making this a large-scale project and viable in the future,” he said when visiting a soursop orchard in Kampung Sungai Lang Baru today.

This soursop plantation project is an initiative of the Tanjung Sepat Assemblyman, Mohd Haslin Hassan, to help increase revenue and the economy of the local residents by giving 2,500 seedlings for free to 10 traditional villages.

“Congratulations to the villagers and the Assemblyman for successfully developing this project and I hope the nearby villages also participate in ensuring that this becomes a large-scale project.

“It is a pilot project in Selangor and hopefully, it will continue to thrive,” he said.

Commenting further, Zaidy said that he will cooperate with the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI) to explore opportunities to break through local and international markets.

“I learned a lot from foreign countries. In Pekan Baru Riau, Indonesia, soursop is a popular farming product because the leaves have nutrients that can cure cancer and gout.

“We are actively conducting studies on the role of herbs and we are looking for a site to become a hub for herbal and soursop plantation,” he said.

NS