Sabah’s locally grown avocados gain attention as potential major export

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TAWAU, Sabah: The East Malaysian state of Sabah is well known for its diverse range of tropical fruits, many of which are native to the Borneo island.

Now, another fruit is beginning to attract fresh interest: the avocado.

Local farmers are increasingly hopeful that the creamy, nutrient-rich fruit could become the state’s next major export.

LARGER, BUTTERY-FLAVOURED FRUITS

Blessed with rich volcanic soil, abundant rainfall and a warm climate, Borneo has long been a centre of diversity for tropical produce.

A trip to the local markets, or tamu, offers a vivid display of this abundance. Found in every village and always bustling, these markets overflow with native varieties of durians, bananas and other fruits.

Among the unique offerings is a wild mango known as bambangan, which sellers said is usually cooked or made into pickles or sambal – a chilli-based Southeast Asian condiment – as it is too sour to eat raw. 

In Sabah, even familiar fruits come in impressive forms.

A giant soursop weighing more than 2.5kg can cost as little as 10 ringgit (US$2.40) thanks to Borneo’s rich volcanic soil.

Recognising the region’s agricultural potential, the federal and state governments have been working to develop large-scale farms in Sabah for high-value fruits.

One standout is the avocado, which is thriving in Tawau on Sabah’s east coast.

Avocados from Borneo stand out for their size and texture. The fruits can weigh up to half a kilogram each – much larger than the avocados typically imported from Australia or Africa – and are prized for their creamy and buttery flavour.

Young farmer Ben Tee grows about 500 trees on his farm, producing roughly 20 tonnes of fruit annually.

It takes about six months for an avocado flower to mature into fruit. For farmers like Tee, much labour goes into pruning, fertilisation and pest management to ensure they can harvest the best produce.

Each avocado is hand-harvested and handled with care to prevent bruising before being graded for size and quality.

“For avocados, they like a lot of water. In Sabah, (we get) quite high rainfall so it’s very suitable for them to grow in Sabah,” the director of Borneocado told CNA.

“This year, the rainfall is much higher compared to the previous year, so the production will be higher than the previous year.”

HIGH EXPORT POTENTIAL

Priced at around US$6 per kg, premium specimens are individually boxed and can fetch up to US$4 each.

While current production caters mostly to domestic demand, industry players believe the fruit has strong potential to grow into a lucrative crop for Sabah’s farmers and exporters.

“There is a lot of potential in the market, because (in terms of) the nutrition itself, it’s very high in healthy fats and high protein as well as carbohydrates … so they are getting more and more people willing to eat these fruits. I can eat (it) every day,” said Tee.

The 31-year-old is already eyeing export markets in Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan and South Korea.

With support from Malaysia’s Agriculture Ministry and research institutions, Tee is also exploring downstream opportunities such as avocado puree and cold-chain processing to extend the fruits’ freshness.

As Sabah continues to invest in high-value agriculture, its homegrown avocados could soon make their mark across the region – and perhaps beyond.