FAMA Gives Disabled Children New Experience To Enjoy Local Fruits Via Taste Tests, Puzzles

KOTA BHARU, Aug 18 (Bernama) -- The Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority (FAMA) is giving new experiences to disabled children to get to know, try, and enjoy local fruits through interactive programmes including taste tests and 'puzzles'.

Its director, Wan Faziatul Aniza Ismayatim said the programme held for the first time was one of the local fruit eating campaigns for the relevant groups from children to adults at special education centres.

"Every year, FAMA will hold a series of campaigns and they will usually involve ordinary students, but this time we are giving special children the opportunity to have the same experience,” she said.

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"This effort can educate this group to recognise and know the advantages of local crops that are rich in nutrition, in addition to fostering healthy living habits by encouraging the consumption of local fruits as part of the daily diet," she said.

She said this to reporters in conjunction with 'Kempen Makan Buah-Buahan Tempatan Pupuk Semarak Jiwa Merdeka Anak Istimewa', at Bizara Educare Centre here today, which was attended by the centre's founder Wan Zakaria Wan Abu Bakar along with 60 disabled students.

Wan Faziatul Aniza said the attractiveness of the eating local fruits campaign for special children was also enhanced by the activity of Flying the Jalur Gemilang and a special performance by the PWD children.

According to her, based on the encouraging response, the activity would be among FAMA’s calendar of activities in the coming years.

Meanwhile, commenting on the local fruit market in Kelantan, she said it is expected that there will be no fruit dumping this year.

She said it was due to farmers being smart in applying production methods in stages according to their respective states.

"The expectation is also based on the current local fruit prices which remain stable and no dumping reports have been recorded so far," she also said.

She added that Kelantan will produce about 2,307 tonnes of local fruits from July to early September this year involving ‘durian kampung’, cloned durians, rambutan and mangosteen in addition to duku and dokong compared to 9,119 tonnes for the July to October period last year.

-- BERNAMA