SHAH ALAM, Aug 24 — Selangor’s first homegrown seed, Melon Selangor (MeloSel), introduced in 2022, is expected to become a premium fruit, fetching up to three times the price of other melon varieties and offering farmers higher returns.
State executive councillor for agriculture Dato’ Izham Hashim said demand for the yellow-fleshed melon has been growing, with several states expressing interest in cultivating it.
He said the state’s efforts to develop its own melon variety have shown positive results, with wider cultivation being planned in the future.
“Historically, Selangor has been well known for rock melon production. Even today, many green-skinned melons are planted, especially in Kuala Selangor and Tanjong Karang,” he told Media Selangor.
Izham said the MeloSel variety was developed in collaboration with Batu Arang–based Green World Genetics Sdn Bhd, which presented 15 specimens before the state settled on a crisp-textured melon with bright colours and a fragrant aroma.
He said the goal was to develop a fruit that reflects Selangor’s identity, featuring a royal yellow skin — rather than green, which often appears unripe — and orange flesh to enhance its appeal.
“Psychologically, the colour stimulates appetite."
Izham said MeloSel can fetch up to RM15 per kg compared with RM4 for regular melons, offering farmers the potential to double their income. However, the fruit remains rare in the market due to limited productivity.
The fruit is currently cultivated commercially in Kampung Endah, Kuala Langat, involving 10,000 plants, with plans to expand to 30,000 in the future.
In addition to Kampung Endah, the crop is also being cultivated in Sabak Bernam with 2,500 plants.
“To maintain quality, we only allow one fruit per plant, removing the rest. This ensures the best yield, with each fruit weighing between 1.5kg and 2kg.
“This method also guarantees sweetness levels of up to 17 to 18 brix, compared with ordinary melons which average around nine to 10 brix. The fruit is very sweet and tasty, which is why other states are eager to obtain the seeds."
Izham added that MeloSel matures in 65 to 70 days, allowing up to four planting cycles a year, giving farmers significant profits despite low production costs. The fruit also has a shelf life of about two weeks after harvest, adding further value and reducing losses.
“MeloSel is suitable as a souvenir. We already have a policy that encourages the use of local fruits as gifts at official events. Selangor also produces other popular crops, such as dragon fruit in Sepang and bananas, which we plan to promote as signature souvenirs."
Apart from MeloSel, Selangor has also developed four other local seed varieties — Selangor Sweet Melon, GrainSel corn, Selangor Sweet Corn, and Selangor Tropical Papaya.
“The papaya has already gone through pilot cultivation in Sungai Tawar, Sabak Bernam. It tastes sweet and delicious, and we expect strong demand for it."
Selangor is also focusing on breeding livestock and aquaculture to reduce dependence on imports and create new economic opportunities.
“We have already started breeding Barbados Black Belly goats, tiger prawns, white prawns, and hybrid coconuts such as Sampoorna and Matag.
"These areas have not received much attention, but they are important for agriculture. Selangor will focus on developing them in an integrated way, even though they are also being done elsewhere,” he said.
