KOTA BHARU, Feb 16 (Bernama) -- The government plans to expand the collaboration on the new MS16 pineapple variety planting project involving agencies under the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (KPKM), including the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI) and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), to strengthen the national food supply security.
KPKM deputy secretary-general (Development) Datuk Luqman Ahmad said this initiative is expanded following the success of the pilot projects being implemented in several states.
"So far, several states, including Johor and Selangor, have carried out MS16 planting collaborations and they have shown encouraging success.
"To date, more than 10,000 MS16 pineapple crops have been planted in several states covering a total area of seven hectares, and the project has the potential to help the government ensure a more secure food supply," he said in a statement today.
Commenting further, Luqman said that although pineapples are the main crop that takes about a year to harvest, the project is also supported by short-term crops such as sweet potatoes, which can be harvested in about three months to generate early income for the participants.
"Pineapples are among the strategic crops that we want to promote. However, we also plant sweet potatoes as a support because they can be harvested several times a year," he said.
He said the project in Kelantan is the first commercial-scale pilot project for the MS16 variety and harvesting is expected to start at the end of this year.
Meanwhile, MARDI director-general Datuk Dr Mohamad Zabawi Abdul Ghani said the farm gate price of the M16 pineapples is estimated to be around RM3.50 per kilogramme (kg), while the retail price ranges from RM10 to RM15 per kg depending on the size and quality.
"The weight of a MS16 pineapple is between 1.5 kg and 2.5 kg. This proves that we are capable of producing high-quality yields without relying too much on imports.
"MARDI will continue to introduce new varieties from time to time, and I am confident that more agencies will join this initiative," he added.
-- BERNAMA
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