Latest news with #HijrahAsnafPineappleFarming
The Star
12 hours ago
- Business
- The Star
Pineapples go from field to fortune
Fruitful industry: Mohamad (left), Deputy Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Arthur Joseph Kurup (right) and Malaysian Pineapple Industry Board chairman Sheikh Umar Bagharib Ali (second from right) looking at bags made from pineapple threads. — THOMAS YONG/The Star JOHOR BARU: Malaysia's pineapple industry has grown into a billion-ringgit venture, with farmers earning up to RM9,000 a month, marking a major milestone in the country's agri-food success story. Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu said the nation recorded RM1.3bil in pineapple output value in 2024, a 34% increase from the previous year. He added that the country's pineapple production volume rose 17% to 520,000 metric tonnes, cultivated across 13,000ha of productive farmland. 'This shows that pineapples are not just a fruit we enjoy, but a true engine of rural economic development,' he said at the inaugural Malaysian Pineapple Day celebration yesterday. Mohamad said Malaysia now has over 8,000 pineapple growers and more than 300 companies involved in the sector. The self-sufficiency level for pineapples has reached 103%, enabling Malaysia to meet domestic demand and expand its export potential. He highlighted the case of a Johor farmer who doubled his income from RM180,000 to RM350,000 annually by making use of drone technology. In Pahang, the Hijrah Asnaf Pineapple Farming programme has helped 18 participants, mainly from underprivileged groups, earn monthly incomes of up to RM5,000 after just a few months of cultivation. 'The Federal Government has allocated RM75mil for pineapple development in Sarawak under the 12th Malaysia Plan.' Mohamad praised Sarawak's innovation in using pineapple waste as livestock feed and the launch of the new Sarawak Gold variety as an alternative to the MD2 premium hybrid. Mohamad said in Kedah, artificial intelligence and satellite imaging are being used to monitor crops, boosting yield by 30% while reducing operational costs by 40%. He said these technological advances are helping Malaysia prepare to meet growing demand from foreign markets such as China and Singapore. Mohamad said Johor remains the top pineapple-producing state in the country, contributing 68% of total cultivated land.
Straits Times
a day ago
- Business
- Straits Times
Malaysia's pineapple industry reaches billion-ringgit milestone
Malaysia has more than 8,000 pineapple growers and over 300 companies involved in the sector. PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: PEXELS JOHOR BAHRU - Malaysia's pineapple industry has become a billion-ringgit sector, with farmers earning up to RM9,000 (S$2,710) a month, marking a significant milestone in the country's agri-food success story. Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu announced that the nation recorded RM1.3 billion in pineapple output value in 2024, reflecting a 34 per cent increase from the previous year. He noted that the country's pineapple production volume rose 17 per cent to 520,000 metric tonnes, cultivated across 13,000 hectare of productive farmland. 'This shows that pineapples are not just a fruit we enjoy, but a true engine of rural economic development,' he said in his speech at the inaugural Malaysian Pineapple Day celebration held at a shopping mall on June 27. He added that Malaysia now has more than 8,000 pineapple growers and over 300 companies involved in the sector, ranging from small to large-scale operations. He stated that the self-sufficiency level for pineapples has reached 103 per cent, allowing Malaysia to meet its domestic demand and expand its export potential. He highlighted the case of a Johor farmer who doubled his income from RM180,000 to RM350,000 annually by integrating drone technology into his operations. In Pahang, the Hijrah Asnaf Pineapple Farming programme has helped 18 participants, mainly from underprivileged groups, earn monthly incomes of up to RM5,000 after just a few months of cultivation. 'The Federal Government has allocated RM75 million for pineapple development in Sarawak under the 12th Malaysia Plan (RMK-12). Farmers in Ulu Moyan three are already producing 50 tonnes of pineapples monthly and have set up their own processing facilities,' he added. He also commended Sarawak's innovation in using pineapple waste as livestock feed and the launch of the new Sarawak Gold (SG1) variety as an alternative to the MD2 premium hybrid. 'This shows a strong commitment from the Sarawak government to turn pineapple into a strategic commodity while supporting green economy principles,' he said. In Kedah, artificial intelligence and satellite imaging are being used to monitor crops, boosting yield by 30 per cent while reducing operational costs by 40 per cent. He said these advances in technologies are helping prepare Malaysia to meet growing demand from foreign markets like China and Singapore. 'Under the upcoming 13th Malaysia Plan, the ministry aims to expand cultivated land to 30,000 hectares, increase production to 1 million metric tonnes, and double pineapple exports from 2,300 to 4,000 containers annually,' he added. Mohamad also noted that Johor remains the top pineapple-producing state in the country, contributing 68 per cent of total cultivated land, thanks to strong collaboration with the state government. He urged more states, private firms, and individuals to participate in the pineapple sector, highlighting that the crop is now both a national asset and a symbol of rural transformation. THE STAR/ ASIAN NEWS NETWORK Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
The Star
a day ago
- Business
- The Star
Malaysia's pineapple industry reaches billion-ringgit milestone
JOHOR BARU: Malaysia's pineapple industry has become a billion-ringgit sector, with farmers earning up to RM9,000 a month, marking a significant milestone in the country's agri-food success story. Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu announced that the nation recorded RM1.3bil in pineapple output value in 2024, reflecting a 34% increase from the previous year. He noted that the country's pineapple production volume rose 17% to 520,000 metric tonnes, cultivated across 13,000ha of productive farmland. "This shows that pineapples are not just a fruit we enjoy, but a true engine of rural economic development," he said in his speech at the inaugural Malaysian Pineapple Day celebration held at a shopping mall on Friday (June 27). Mohamad added that Malaysia now has more than 8,000 pineapple growers and over 300 companies involved in the sector, ranging from small to large-scale operations. He stated that the self-sufficiency level for pineapples has reached 103%, allowing Malaysia to meet its domestic demand and expand its export potential. Mohamad Sabu highlighted the case of a Johor farmer who doubled his income from RM180,000 to RM350,000 annually by integrating drone technology into his operations. In Pahang, the Hijrah Asnaf Pineapple Farming programme has helped 18 participants, mainly from underprivileged groups, earn monthly incomes of up to RM5,000 after just a few months of cultivation. "The Federal Government has allocated RM75 million for pineapple development in Sarawak under the 12th Malaysia Plan (RMK-12). Farmers in Ulu Moyan three are already producing 50 tonnes of pineapples monthly and have set up their own processing facilities," he added. Mohamad also commended Sarawak's innovation in using pineapple waste as livestock feed and the launch of the new Sarawak Gold (SG1) variety as an alternative to the MD2 premium hybrid. "This shows a strong commitment from the Sarawak government to turn pineapple into a strategic commodity while supporting green economy principles," he said. In Kedah, artificial intelligence (AI) and satellite imaging are being used to monitor crops, boosting yield by 30% while reducing operational costs by 40%. He said these advances in technologies are helping prepare Malaysia to meet growing demand from foreign markets like China and Singapore. "Under the upcoming 13th Malaysia Plan, the ministry aims to expand cultivated land to 30,000 hectares, increase production to 1 million metric tonnes, and double pineapple exports from 2,300 to 4,000 containers annually," he added. Mohamad also noted that Johor remains the top pineapple-producing state in the country, contributing 68% of total cultivated land, thanks to strong collaboration with the state government. He urged more states, private firms, and individuals to participate in the pineapple sector, highlighting that the crop is now both a national asset and a symbol of rural transformation.
