Perak Expands Onion Cultivation To 10 Hectares, Targeting 32 Metric Tonnes Yield

By Razif Rosli

SUNGKAI, Oct 14 (Bernama) -- The Perak Department of Agriculture is expanding onion cultivation to 10 hectares in the second phase of its initiative, aimed at boosting production and reducing imports, said its director Norsiyenti Othman.

She said that the success of a pilot project covering one hectare in Kampung Kuala Bikam, which yielded 3.3 metric tonnes during its first harvest in April, served as a catalyst for scaling up onion planting efforts.

She explained that this expansion initiative, a strategic joint venture between the state government and potential entrepreneurs, has been supported through ongoing retraining and capacity-building programmes.

“Currently, we have commenced planting four hectares in the Batang Padang district and another four hectares in the Kinta district, following the success in Kampung Kuala Bikam, with an estimated total production of 32 metric tonnes.

“The pilot site in Kampung Kuala Bikam has now entered its second phase, and the overall onion cultivation in Perak encompasses 10 hectares. This project is managed by the state Agriculture Department and includes the state Farmers’ Organisation Authority (LPP),” she told Bernama recently.

She added that the department had received three metric tonnes of small red onion bulbs for planting in the Batang Padang district from the Crop Development Industry Division (BPIT).

The planting area will also be expanded through strategic collaboration with the Perak Islamic Religious and Malay Customs Council (MAIPk), targeting mosques’ waqf land across the state, covering an estimated area of four hectares.

“This initiative aligns with Perak's goal of enhancing food security and reducing import dependency, as outlined in the Perak Sejahtera 2030 Plan by Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad,” she added.

Norsiyenti emphasised that this round of onion planting will be improved based on insights gained from the pilot project, focusing on spacing between bulbs, pest and disease control, fertilisation, and curing process learned from previous visits to Indonesia.

She also noted that in 2022, the total imports of large and small onion varieties reached 685,400 tonnes, valued at RM1.58 billion.

According to statistical data, Malaysia imported 525,055.37 tonnes of onions, valued at RM944,990,373, from 20 countries.

“The highest volume of imports came from India at 321,776.16 tonnes, followed by the Netherlands (77,772.55 tonnes), China (47,165.48 tonnes), Pakistan (42,957.62 tonnes), Thailand (12,186.52 tonnes), and other nations.

“The onion supply crisis in 2020, triggered by flood disaster in India, caused onion prices to triple, prompting Perak to become the first state to initiate onion cultivation,” she explained.

In the meantime, onion grower Alan Yang Chin Choi, 54, shared that he was motivated to respond to the government’s recommendations to cultivate onions to meet consumer demand.

“I hope this onion crop yields positive results, as there is a high market demand compared to other crops. Although this is my first time planting onions, the cooperation and guidance from the state Agriculture Department have facilitated the process, which takes 65 to 70 days before harvesting,” he said.

Meanwhile, the first commercial local onion grower, Tan Cheng Choy, 56, expressed his pride in contributing to the pilot project, which successfully harvested the first crop of 3.3 metric tonnes.

“The plants need to be watered daily for two months until they germinate, and fertilised every two weeks,” he noted, adding that the main challenges in onion cultivation are diseases and viruses.

-- BERNAMA