MIRI: Sarawak Gold One (SG1) will be the flagship pineapple variety for northern Sarawak under a zone-based development strategy aimed at strengthening the state’s pineapple industry through land suitability and regional potential.
Food Industry, Commodity and Regional Development Minister, Datuk Seri Dr Stephen Rundi Utom, said the approach would enable the industry to be developed in a more structured and sustainable manner across Sarawak.
He said the central region, comprising Sibu, Mukah and Sarikei, would cultivate a combination of pineapple varieties suited to local conditions, while the southern region would focus on varieties such as MD2 and N36.
“Each zone has its own potential and suitable varieties. In the north, our focus is on SG1,” he told reporters after an official working visit to Ning Planters plantation in Tukau here on Wednesday (July 15), as reported by Sarawak Public Communication Unit (UKAS).
Dr Rundi said the state’s pineapple industry is no longer centred solely on cultivation but encompasses the entire value chain, including processing, research and development (R&D), training, marketing and the adoption of modern technology.
He said the integrated approach is expected to improve the competitiveness of Sarawak’s pineapple industry while creating greater economic opportunities for farmers and local entrepreneurs.
He added that the development of the SG1 variety would require continued support through research, training and technical guidance to ensure consistent, high-quality production.
Dr Rundi also said the modernisation of the pineapple industry has the potential to attract more young people into agriculture as the sector evolves into a technology-driven and business-oriented industry.
Earlier, he and Deputy Minister of Food Industry, Commodity and Regional Development, Datuk Dr Abdul Rahman Ismail, visited Malaysia’s largest pineapple processing factory in Tukau, a RM70-million facility scheduled to begin operations by the end of this year.
He said the plant, with a processing capacity of 9,750 tonnes, is capable of handling about 11 tonnes of pineapples per hour, requiring a steady and sufficient supply of raw materials.
He added that the factory will support SG1 production through contract farming and strategic collaboration with smallholders.
Also present were Malaysian Pineapple Industry Board (LPNM) Sarawak’s Director-General, Mohd Nazaiful Azdi Rahman; Ning Planters Sdn Bhd’s Director, Datuk Yap Foot Loy; and Miri Division Agriculture Officer, Chong Mui Sia.
