JOHOR BARU, July 3 — The Malaysian Pineapple Industry Board (LPNM) will help market 125,000 pineapples belonging to a farmer who claimed his fruits cannot be sold due to movement control order (MCO) 3.0 on social media.

The agency in a statement said it had identified the farmer by visiting his six-hectare pineapple farm, which comprised mostly Moris and Josapine varieties at Parit Lapis Maimon, Parit Lubok Darat Semerah in Batu Pahat near here, on June 30.

"It is estimated the crop of 125,000 pineapples were being brought out from the farm at end of last month until the middle of August. The fruits could not be sold because the wholesaler did not come to take the fruits as usual, due to a drop in demand in the market during MCO.

"Following that LPNM also offers assistance to the farmer by marketing and matching up with pineapple canning factories, besides trying to identify wholesalers who need pineapples at the moment,” read the statement.

According to the statement LPNM is taking appropriate measures in handling issues of pineapple farmers, who are affected throughout MCO, including issuing movement permission letter to facilitate them in carrying out agricultural, processing and marketing activities.

"Besides that, LPNM is also collaborating with factories, and matching with wholesalers, besides intensifying eating pineapple promotion campaign within the community,” the statement said.

The agency urged pineapple farmers nationwide who faced marketing problem to channel their complaints to the state LPNM office, by email at www.mpib.gov.my/fms or via LPNM official Facebook page to enable immediate measures to be taken. — Bernama