KOTA SAMARAHAN: The Agriculture and Food Industries Ministry (MAFI) through the Malaysian Pineapple Industry Board (LPNM) is targeting to increase pineapple cultivation in Sarawak to 4,000 hectares by 2025, in an effort to meet the high demands from abroad and within the country.
Its deputy minister Dr Nik Muhammad Zawawi Salleh said in order to achieve the target and strengthen the pineapple industry, LPNM would continue to assist smallholders and farm operators in terms of planting material incentives, agricultural inputs, infrastructure, as well as support and technical services.
“Sarawak is the second largest state in terms of pineapple cultivation after Johor, covering 2,500 hectares in 2020.
“Under the 12th Malaysia Plan, Sarawak has been allocated RM500 million for a period of five years until 2025 in an effort to strengthen the pineapple industry in the state,” he said after visiting the Pineapple Cultivation Project in Kampung Tambey here today.
Also present was Sarawak LPNM director Muhammad Suffian Sahmat.
Nik Muhammad Zawawi said to date, a total of 500 pineapple growers and farm operators in Sarawak were under LPNM’s supervision.
Meanwhile, he called on educated young people in Sarawak to venture into agriculture as it could generate lucrative income.
“Currently, we adopt agricultural technology and no longer rely on traditional methods. For example, applying fertilisers or spraying water on crops can now be done using a system that can be accessed through mobile phones or computers,” he said.
Earlier, Nik Muhammad Zawawi visited the workshop of D’Mata Enterprise in Kampung Sungai Mata which offers pineapple-based products. — Bernama