ADIB PROMOTES HARUM MANIS WITH 'MANIH LETING' CUTTING EDGE TO SAVOUR PERLIS' KING OF FRUITS

By: Hasnah Jusid

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 14 -- He may be young, but the knowledge and long-term ambition of Muhammad Adib Hashim, 29, to raise the profile of the king of fruits in Perlis, the famous harum manis mango, are extraordinary.

What’s more interesting is that this young man who hails from Bukit Keteri, Perlis, does not shy away from managing the harum manis orchard he inherited from his late father Hashim Saad, even while pursuing a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Civil Engineering at Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Shah Alam.

In an interview with Bernama recently before going on air in the Darah Muda programme broadcast by Bernama TV, the third of five siblings was very articulate in sharing sound bites of information about harum manis, from the vegetative growth stage, to the uniqueness of the harvested fruit, research and the potential of by-products based on it.

“Perlis is a very fortunate state, although the harum manis species Mangifera Indica Linn is found in other countries such as Sumatra, Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam, the aroma here is unparalleled.

“In Perlis, there are three seasons, including a very hot season which squeezes the fragrance out of the fruit. The fragrant extract can also then be turned into by-products that we also produce,” he said.

Muhammad Adib said that pursuing a PhD requires him to manage his time wisely, and he is grateful that his four siblings who are also pursuing their PhD studies, also helped out in managing their farm located in Chuping—the hottest spot in Malaysia, with temperatures shooting up to 40.1 degrees Celsius.

"Studying for my PhD has made me more systematic in my thinking process, in managing agricultural products and in the growing process, to ensure we can produce the best fruits and products.

"In my studies, I have done research related to engineering and also agriculture, specifically harum manis, which has helped us understand more deeply what the fruit needs, why it is healthy, and why it gets sick," he said.

The knowledge about the fruit, which is rich in vitamins A and C, painstakingly gleaned from his late father, is also shared through his TikTok account, Adib Harum Manis, which now has more than 16,000 followers.

According to Adib, many of his Tik Tok followers from Singapore, Indonesia, and Brunei have expressed their wish to savour the delicious fruit, which has very fine texture and is becoming increasingly known in the region.

Currently, he and other harum manis entrepreneurs are also collaborating with UiTM Perlis to produce products based on the mango to generate additional income outside of the fruit's production season, which typically occurs once a year from March to May.

He said this is done by incorporating the fragrance and sweetness of the fruit as one of the 'ingredients' in other products, said Muhammad Adib, who sells harum manis at a price of around RM100 per kilogramme (kg).

"We have now successfully produced several products such as green tea with harum manis leaves, hair spray oil from harum manis seeds, harum manis dipping powder and yogurt. We create products that we can sustain the whole year round by carrying out the fragrant essence of the fruit.

"This is not the kind of fruit you measure by the kilo, there is indeed research by UiTM Perlis and the state Agriculture Department, and there are related certificates to ensure the quality and safety of the products produced," he said.

Muhammad Adib, who also holds a Bachelor's Degree from Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP) and a Master's Degree from UiTM Shah Alam, said that although many quip that the price of the fruit requires buyers to have deep pockets, he believes it is worth it given the hard work of the farmers in managing their orchards throughout the year.

It is especially tedious in fertilisation, protection from tree diseases, soil liming, pruning, pollination spraying, fruit wrapping during hot seasons (often during the month of Ramadan), fruit harvesting, packaging and delivery to the sales  destination.

“Harum Manis is hard to come by. Farmers will produce Harum Manis at the vegetative stage from June to January. They sweat and toil; their effort cannot be measured in monetary terms because this fruit needs to be pampered with the utmost care,” he said.

He also advised the younger generation not to fear venturing into agriculture such as this as for him, working the land will definitely yield results.

“When we farm, we run the soil through the fingers, we tread on the earth, and when we farm, it is therapy for our bodies and minds, making us feel more relaxed. There’s no need to hesitate when immersing yourself into agriculture,” he said.

Muhammad Adib, who also received training and assistance from the Perlis Department of Agriculture, suggested that more research on the fruit be conducted to commercialise it internationally and raise awareness of the potential of Harum Manis among the younger generation of cultivators.

“My hope is that Malaysians will know how to enjoy Harum Manis at the highest level ... knowing the proper way of cutting the fruit so that the 'manih leting' (sweet) sensation can truly caress the throat,” he said.

-- BERNAMA