Agricom.id, JAKARTA – Since the corona virus was announced as the pandemic nationally and globally, the demands of fresh fruit increase. One of them is baby orange. It is believed to fulfill the vitamin needs and maintain the immunity from the virus.

Now the stores in the markets and fruit sellers get the increasing turnover. The high demands to consume orange are positive for the farmers. Though they get lots of fruits, the selling price is good for them.

In some chances Minister of Agriculture, Syahrul Yasin Limpo (SYL) emphasized that though the epidemic of Covid-19 hits our country, this could be the moment to increase the local vegetable and fruit production.

The orange farmer of Village of Gading Kulon, Sub district of Dau, District of Malang, East Java, Djarwo said that the baby orange production gets better and the markets directly buy it.

The selling price in the farmers’ level is good too. He could not fulfill the orange needs.

“This morning, we harvested the baby orange but after that the traders (the partners) directly bought it. It is about Rp 8 thousand to Rp 11 thousand per kilogram in the farmers’ level. It is quite easy to sell. The cars of the traders go and forth,” he said, Sunday (19/4/2020), as in the official statement to Agricom.id.

For all these years, the areas around the slope of Gunung Kawi, especially in Sub district of Dau are famous as the superior orange producers. Jeruk keprok Batu-55, baby orange, and jeruk siem madu are mostly developed there.

At least, five villages in the sub district develop it, they are, Selorejo, Petungsewu, Gading Kulon, Tegal Weru, and Kucur. Based on central bureau of statistic, the orange production the sub district in 2019 reached 74.355 tons or the highest one in District of Malang.

“I predicted that the harvest from my group could be two thousand tons per year. We are in partnership to supply to big cities, such as, Jakarta and Surabaya. The massive harvest here would be in July to August though in every single month, we could harvest it,” he who is also the Chairman of Gapoktan Sri Gading mentioned.

The support from ministry of agriculture and the agriculture agency to develop the orange in the region, he admitted, is really useful. “We are supported by general directorate of horticulture, Balitjestro Malang, BPTP East Java, agriculture agency of Malang and the counselors. They really support us,” he said happily,

Director of Fruit and Horticulture, Ministry of Agriculture, Liferdi Lukman said yes that the orange has increasing demands. In the epidemic situation, the people are aware of consuming fresh fruit to increase the immunity.

“The consumers search for kinds of orange, such as, lemonade, siem, keprok, and also baby orange. Alhamdulillah our orange production centers could fulfill the chance. The stocks are good,” he said.

He also mentioned that ministry of agriculture would keep supporting the farmers to produce and would not get issues to sell theirs. About the baby orange, he who is well-known as the fruit researcher told that it is special.

Baby orange has thick skin, it is green or light orange, it smells good, mostly in the same shape, the flesh is a little bit yellowish, and sweet.

“The people like it because the infant and the kids could consume it. The acid ingredient may be 50 percent less than the other one,” he ended. (A2)