LPNM Harvests Value From Pineapple Waste With New Livestock Feed Innovation

By Nur Fatin Mohamad Kadenen

PONTIAN, Nov 30 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian Pineapple Industry Board (LPNM)’s ongoing efforts to turn pineapple waste into valuable resources have resulted in the development of livestock feed pellets, a breakthrough with potential for both domestic use and export markets.

LPNM director-general Mohd Khairuzamri M Salleh said the innovation not only created new opportunities in the country’s downstream industry, but could also help reduce reliance on imported products while boosting income for local producers.

Speaking to Bernama, he said that a Japanese firm had recently expressed interest in using LPNM’s dried pineapple waste, or “pinapeat”, as Wagyu cattle feed, and that samples had been sent to Niigata for suitability testing.

Mohd Khairuzamri said the innovation, made possible under the development and special allocations of the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP), reflected LPNM’s commitment to the three-stage harvesting approach, positioning pineapple cultivation as a new source of wealth in the agricultural sector.

“Under 12MP, we are placing greater focus on producing a variety of downstream products from pineapple waste through collaborative research, and livestock feed is among those with the highest potential.

“This segment indeed utilises a significant portion of pineapple waste, which can be processed and formulated into improved forms for storage, logistics, and additional uses,” he said.

In this regard, Mohd Khairuzamri said LPNM would continue to ensure that efforts to enhance waste utilisation were maintained through the Agronanas Innovation Enhancement and Third Harvest Chain Management projects under the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP).

Meanwhile, LPNM’s Product Development and Biotechnology director Elmie Adha Ismail said that so far, five types of livestock feed pellets had been successfully developed in collaboration with Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), following research conducted since 2021 under 12MP.

He said it covered feed pellets for rabbits, goats, fish, chicken and cattle, with each product made up of at least 50 per cent pineapple waste.

According to him, the high fibre content of pineapple waste was a key advantage in livestock feed production, complemented by other nutrients, including protein, in the pellet formulations developed with UTM researchers led by Dr Aidee Kamal Khamis.

Elmie Adha explained that the development of the pellets would not have been possible without processing equipment specifically designed to accommodate the unique characteristics of pineapple crops.

Therefore, he said LPNM, through its Product Development and Biotechnology Division, had taken the initiative to carry out research and develop several pieces of equipment, including extraction and shredding machines, for this purpose.

“One of the main challenges we encountered previously was the ineffective shredding of pineapple waste, as most machines available were designed for other crops such as oil palm and napier grass.

“Through our research, we have successfully developed a small-scale shredding machine that meets farmers’ needs and can be easily installed without the need for large machinery,” he said.

He added that the facilities at the Pineapple Waste Processing Centre (PPSN) in Rompin, Pahang, as well as PPSN Alor Bukit in Pekan Nanas, would be upgraded, while research conducted under 12MP would continue into the commercialisation phase.

Elmie Adha said the government, through the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, was focusing on utilising agricultural waste, with LPNM tasked with implementing the pineapple waste industry development project, supported by a RM2 million allocation under 12MP.

He said that the special allocation also supported the establishment of the PPSN in Rompin, facilitating the development of modern equipment such as fibre extractors, shredders, and waste harvesting machines.

Elmie Adha said several entrepreneurs and farmers had also benefitted from incentives to carry out pilot projects producing downstream products from pineapple waste on their own farms.

“Priority is given to those with an existing network of related businesses. For instance, pineapple farm owners rearing cattle can use pineapple waste to produce silage for their livestock,” he said.

-- BERNAMA