TAPAH, Nine agricultural products of Orang Asli in Pos Musoh, here, have been selected to be commercially marketed at Aeon supermarkets nationwide.
Koperasi Orang Asli Pos Musoh chairman Kamal Bah Kan Lok said the agricultural products included petai, torch ginger flower, pandan leaves, lemongrass, galangal, and turmeric.
“Also to be marketed at the supermarket outlets are jeruk petai (pickled petai) and sambal kantan,” he told Bernama during the signing ceremony of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Koperasi Orang Asli Pos Musoh and Aeon Co (M) Sdn Bhd (Aeon) here.
The signing ceremony was witnessed by Deputy Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Minister Saraswathy Kandasami.
Also present was Perak and Kedah Orang Asli Development Department director Hairulnizam Abd Rahman.
Kamal said the partnership with Aeon began in March with the sale of petai from Tapah forest, and it has now been expanded to include other agricultural products, allowing the local community to generate additional income.
Meanwhile, Aeon Group Chief Merchandise and Marketing Officer Lau Ngai Yuen said that the agricultural items are in high demand due to the fact that consumers prefer locally sourced fresh produce.
“The price might be a little high, but the response has been great because they are grown traditionally and some of them, such as the petai, come from natural sources,” she said.
The collaboration, according to Lau, is also an important measure to reduce the involvement of middlemen and ensure that products can be sold directly to Aeon supermarkets.
Source: BERNAMA News Agency
