SAMARAHAN, March 26 — Sarawak may soon overtake Johor as the largest pineapple producing state in the country by the end of the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP).
Malaysian Pineapple Industry Board (LPNM) director-general Mohd Khairuzamri M Salleh said Sarawak was currently in second place behind Johor as the largest producer with a pineapple planting area of 9,782 hectares, capable of producing 181,000 metric tonnes of pineapple a year.
He added that Sarawak also had a total of 700 to 900 farmers involved in pineapple cultivation in the state since the 11MP, with most of them in the Samarahan division.
“I believe by the end of the 12MP, Sarawak may be able to overtake Johor to become the largest producer (of pineapple) in Malaysia,” he said after officiating the Sungai Ulu Moyan Estate, Asajaya, here today.
Khairuzamri said Sarawak had huge resources to further increase pineapple cultivation, including in clusters such as at Sungai Ulu Moyan Estate, Asajaya.
He said about 60 hectares of the plantation had been developed with pineapple and there were more than 300 hectares of the plantation that could be developed with the crop.
“This cluster has managed the farm very well and applied the technology that we have delivered through the Malaysian Pineapple Industry Board in this area,” he said.
Khairuzamri said he wanted the pineapple industry products in Sarawak to be exported abroad, including to Brunei, Japan and China because Sarawak was closer to those countries than the Peninsula.
“In the 12MP, our target is for all pineapple entrepreneurs to earn an income of up to RM8,000 a month,” he added.
In this regard, he called on the people of Sarawak, especially those aged 40 and under, to venture into pineapple growing by taking advantage of various assistance and schemes offered by his office.
