Mechanisation, R&D way forward for pineapple industry — Dr Rundi
MIRI: The pineapple industry in Sarawak must adopt agricultural mechanisation technology and do research and development (R&D) to increase its capacity and productivity all the way to downstream, to diversify the potential of pineapple as one of the export products, said Food Industries, Commodities and Regional Development Minister Dato Sri Dr Stephen Rundi Utom.
With Sarawak having its very own pineapple variety called Sarawak Gold (SG1), he anticipates that the pineapple industry in the state will have better future than other commodities like durian.
He noted that the Sarawak government is focusing on four main commodities; namely pineapple, banana, coconut and durian.
“(As for now) pineapple comes second after durian (and) I think that we have better future for pineapple than durian.
“I was told by the director of Malaysian Pineapple Industry Board that an acre of land planted with pineapple can generate up to RM1 million annually, which means that this industry has huge potential to be developed other than oil palm,” he said when launching SG1 pineapple variety at TG Agro Fruits Sdn Bhd Collection Centre at Sungai Tukau near here yesterday.
According to Dr Rundi, the latest pineapple variety SG1 can last more than a month post harvest, thus making it an export material product.
However, he said, the industry players must not stop at exporting the fresh products only, instead they should also look at the downstream industry.
He cited the oil palm industry as a sector that was developed well through numerous R&D programmes - from production all the way to downstream, making it a complete chain despite various challenges from western countries.
“And now, the role and responsibility of the state government is to be able to create a complete production chain through R&D, increase production until downstream industry.
“It does not matter whether it’s the pineapple industry, durian, banana or coconut, we must not stop half way through,” he said, adding that among the downstream products from pineapple are clothing, paper and food.
Dr Rundi reminded that that other commodities such as cocoa and pepper did not do well due to lack of R&D as well as absence of modern technology.
Hence, he said, it is crucial that the state government adopt agricultural mechanisation technology in the agricultural sector.
“One of the main challenges faced by the industry is the lack of foreign labour, which can be tackled if the mechanisation technology is in place,” he added.
On another note, Dr Rundi said the state government aimed to have at least 20,000 hectares of land to be planted with pineapple by 2030.
He thus called on industry players, especially smallholders, to take up pineapple cultivation as it can generate higher returns.
According to Dr Rundi, with the new variety SG1, an acre of land can produce 20,000 fruits that can fetch a price of RM5 per kg, on average.
“That is about RM6,000 per month for one farmer with one acre of land,” he said.
SG1 was registered as one of the pineapple varieties in the country on Dec 13 last year by the Agriculture department.
This variety was brought into Miri from Taiwan in 2019 and was commercialised in 2021 at TG Agro Fruits Sdn Bhd at Kampung Tukau on a 10-hectare land.
Among those present at the function were Deputy Minister of Food Industries, Commodities and Regional Development Datuk Dr Abdul Rahman Ismail, Deputy Minister of Modernisation of Agriculture and Regional Development II Martin Ben, Deputy Minister of Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development Dr Ripin Lamat, Malaysian Pineapple Industry Board (MPIB) director Mohd Khairuzamri M. Salleh, MIPB Sarawak director Mohammad Suffian Sahmat, TG Agro Fruits Sdn Bhd managing director Datuk Yap Foot Loy and Miri Resident Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusuf.