Tasty option: Malaysian Pineapple board promotes new Sarawak SG-1 pineapple variety in peninsular Malaysia

MELAKA, June 30 —The Malaysian Pineapple Industry Board (MPIB) is promoting the expansion of the new Sarawak Gold-1 (SG-1) pineapple variety across Peninsular Malaysia to boost productivity and strengthen the supply chain for the processing sector.

MPIB director-general Mohd Khairuzamri M. Salleh said around 500 hectares of SG-1 crops have been cultivated in Peninsular Malaysia so far, in Negeri Sembilan, Selangor, and Pahang, with plans to introduce the variety to Melaka.

He said the national variety was brought in from Taiwan to Miri, Sarawak, in December 2022 and has been officially registered by the Department of Agriculture Malaysia.

"The SG-1 variety has a shorter maturation period of nine months compared to 14 to 16 months for the MD2 variety, so it can be harvested quicker to help increase planters' income.

"Furthermore, SG-1 allows a higher planting density of between 20,000 and 25,000 plants per 0.4 hectares (one acre) compared to 15,000 to 17,000 plants for the MD2 variety, thereby significantly increasing production output," he told reporters at Taman Bunga Merdeka here today.

He said this after the opening ceremony of the MPIB-Historical Melaka City Council (MBMB) Bromeliad Garden and the handover of the keys to the MPIB Melaka office today. The event was officiated by Melaka Rural Development, Agriculture and Food Security Committee Chairman Datuk Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh, and attended by MBMB Mayor Datuk Shadan Othman.

Mohd Khairuzamri said the quality of SG-1 is on par with MD2, while its sweetness level is higher, making the variety highly suitable for both fresh consumption and the processing industry.

"We aim for about 60 per cent of SG-1 production to be channelled into the processing industry, such as juice production and canned pineapples. This segment accounts for about 70 per cent of the country's pineapple export value, which previously reached RM1.4 billion.

"Therefore, we are bringing the SG-1 variety to Melaka today to introduce it to local operators and the public, including tourists, as it is not widely available on the retail market yet," he said.

Meanwhile, he said the MPIB-MBMB Bromeliad Garden is the first of its kind developed by the agency in collaboration with a local authority. Choosing Melaka aligns with the state's image as a world-class historic tourism city and enhances its urban agro-tourism by connecting heritage, nature, and agriculture.

He added that the initiative aims to showcase the pineapple industry through a creative, tourist-friendly approach, establishing pineapples as a unique feature in Melaka's urban landscape. It also provides an attractive public spot for photography and reinforces the strategic partnership between MPIB and MBMB in promoting agriculture-based green urban development. — Bernama