KIULU: After nearly two years of patiently tending their pineapple plants, pupils of SK Pukak finally reaped the sweet rewards of their hard work with the school’s first pineapple harvest.
The milestone marked more than just the harvesting of fruit — it was a proud moment for the Year Four, Five and Six pupils who had nurtured the plants from seedlings, learning valuable lessons in patience, responsibility and teamwork along the way.
Headmaster Goromon Rongot told Daily Express the initiative was introduced to give pupils hands-on exposure to agriculture while cultivating a love for nature and sustainable living.
“The pupils are always excited to take part in gardening activities. Seeing the fruits of their own labour after nearly two years has made the experience even more meaningful for them,” he said.
The school maintains a kitchen garden in addition to its pineapple plantation, allowing pupils to gain practical agricultural skills beyond the classroom.
About 150 pineapple plants of two local varieties — Honey Pineapple (Nenas Madu) and Paun pineapple (Nenas Paun) — have been cultivated at the school. As the crop is grown naturally without the use of fruit-inducing chemicals, the plants bear fruit at different times.
The first harvest was sold mainly to teachers, with proceeds channelled into the school’s fund to support future activities and programmes.
Goromon said the idea of cultivating pineapples came from the school, while the Parent-Teacher Association (PIBG) supported the initiative by supplying the pineapple seedlings.
Besides the pineapple garden, the school has also established a stingless bee (kelulut) garden with about 10 hives, exposing pupils to another aspect of sustainable agriculture and environmental stewardship.
He said the school hopes to expand the pineapple plantation and introduce more crop varieties as inter-crops, enabling more pupils to benefit from hands-on learning while generating additional income for the school.
“Our hope is to further develop the garden and diversify the crops so that more pupils can enjoy learning through agriculture while contributing to the school community,” he said.