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The Importance of Fruits in Our Diet and Their Economic
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Fruits are not only a delicious and colorful addition to our diets, but they
also provide essential minerals, vitamins, and fiber. We can find a variety of
fruits, including local and imported ones, in almost every supermarket and
convenience store.
Imported fruits such as apples, oranges, pears, and grapes are widely available,
but they have not been successfully cultivated locally, except for strawberries
in the Cameron Highlands. These fruits come from countries like China,
Australia, America, and Europe and are sold in various forms such as juices,
preserves, jams, and ice cream flavors.
Local fruits, like rambutan, durian, mangosteen, banana, papaya, and mango, are
equally nutritious and delicious. Although some of them are seasonal,
advancements in genetic engineering have allowed for year-round availability of
some fruits, like durian. Additionally, fruits like mangosteen and papaya have
medicinal uses and can be turned into health supplements and soap, respectively.
Other fruits like avocado and coconut have found their way into beauty products
like creams and shampoos.
Fruits make excellent gifts, and the fruit farming industry has become a
lucrative career with many opportunities for export. With the growing demand for
fruits in various forms, such as fruity desserts, biscuits, sweets, and yogurts,
fruit sellers are doing roaring business in urban areas.
Therefore, it is essential to encourage the local orchard industry and reduce
our dependence on fruit imports. This can be achieved by motivating more young
people to take up fruit farming as a career, utilizing the idle land to
cultivate fruits, and promoting research facilities backed by the government.
With our tropical weather and demand for fruits, there is a great potential for
growth and economic prosperity in this industry. So let's grow more fruit and
enjoy the benefits of this delicious and nutritious food source. |
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