Strawberry Farms

Cameron Highlands

Where to Go ~ Strawberry Farms

Cameron Highlands is the only holiday destination in Malaysia where strawberries are grown and harvested commercially. The strawberry farms found here are also open for visitors, making them one of the top tourist attractions in Cameron Highlands. The farms are also great places for shopping products made from strawberries, such as jams and tarts. The best season to enjoy strawberries is from February to April, which has less rain that most other months. Subsequently, the strawberries harvested during this time are at its sweetest due to having less humidity in the air. The rainy season tends to soak the air with moisture and somehow, makes the strawberries taste less sweet.

About a decade ago, this little berry was grown from the ground up, but today, modernity has caught up with the farmers, for they now raise the plant using hydroponic methods. Without a doubt, the strawberries grown from the ground are actually sweeter. However, growing them in bags mixed with rich soil and stacked up on racks enable a higher production and faster growth rate. The many farms located along the main road from Brinchang town to the Kea Farm are populated with strawberries. Visitors and tourists can pluck their own strawberries from these farms as well as buy them in the morning and night markets of Brinchang.

Shops are also open in these farms that sell strawberry-derived products which include jams, tarts, scones, cordial juice and other treats. The strawberry farms catering for tourists and visitors are located mostly around the Brinchang area. To visit any of these farms, meaning to actually enter the area where the strawberries are grown, you'll be required to make a purchase of at least half a kilogram. This minimum amount can be plucked directly with your hands inside the farm. A basket will be given to visitors which, at the end of the day, will be weighted and charged accordingly. Inside the farm, you can see how the strawberries are grown.

Wooden racks stack up layers of strawberry plants nestled in soil bags. Water sprinklers feed these plants at certain intervals during the day. A roof of taupalin sheets provide shade and protection from excess rain water. If you intend to pluck strawberries, here's a tip; only harvest the large strawberries for they are the sweetest. Anything smaller than your thumb size will tend to be very sour. Also, the rainy season affects the taste of the strawberries. Excess rain and humidity in the air make the strawberries that are produced during this time taste the worst of the whole year. It is the dry season when the strawberries are generally at their sweetest.