Ministry implements programme to reduce dependency on imported onions

KUALA LUMPUR: The onion cultivation programme, which will be implemented in phases starting this year until 2030, is expected to reduce the country’s onion imports by 30 per cent, said Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu.

According to him, the programme would be implemented in two phases, namely the pre-commercial phase from this year to next year, followed by the commercial phase from 2026 to 2030.

He explained that the precommercial phase aims to assess the viability of small red onion cultivation in Malaysia, with the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (Mardi) supplying 70 tonnes of small onion seeds and 230 kilogramme (kg) of small red onion seeds.

Mohamad said during the pre-commercial phase, an onion cultivation area spanning 100 hectares will be established, with an estimated production yield of five tonnes per hectare.

“Onion cultivation can be done twice each year. Onion production (during this precommercial phase) is anticipated to reach 1,000 tonnes,” he said during the question and answer session at the Dewan Rakyat Wednesday.

He said this in reply to a question from Datuk Idris Ahmad (PN-Bagan Serai) regarding the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security’s (KPKM) efforts to reduce onion imports by 30 per cent.

Elaborating, Mohamad said the commercial phase of the programme would involve the development of a 1,347-hectare area, with an expected onion yield of 14,470 tonnes.

He added that the programme would only involve the cultivation of small red onions, as Mardi has yet to discover suitable varieties of onions and garlic for planting in Malaysia. Bernama