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MPIB chairman Datuk Dr Sahruddin Jamal said the board was confident that the target could be achieved with careful planning by MPIB which was successfully realised through the industrial development and transformation programme under 11MP. — Bernama photo
JOHOR BAHRU (Sept 29): The Malaysian Pineapple Industry Board (MPIB) is aiming to increase the average income of pineapple growers in the country to between RM5,000 and RM8,000 per month under the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP).
Its chairman Datuk Dr Sahruddin Jamal said the board was confident that the target could be achieved with careful planning by MPIB which was successfully realised through the industrial development and transformation programme under 11MP.
He added MPIB through the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry (MAFI) was given a pledged allocation of RM137 million to carry out development projects under the 12MP for five years (2021-2025),
“Insya Allah, we are confident that the target is achievable because the MD2 premium variety is the main crop to raise the growers’ income up to RM8,000 per month. The high demand for the MD2 (hybrid pineapple) is strong in the local and foreign markets,” he told Bernama recently.
He said among seven MPIB development projects under the 12MP are to strengthen the planting of high-value pineapple plantations, pineapple seeds breeding, technological transformation and management of pineapple crops, as well as global pineapple industry market.
Sharuddin said 43.79 per cent of the total allocation under the 12MP was allocated to strengthen the planting of high-value pineapples with 50 per cent targeting MD2 variety among entrepreneurs and smallholders.
“MPIB will increase entrepreneurs’ income through the pineapple seed breeding programme which provides opportunities for them to produce seeds to meet the expansion needs of pineapple cultivation areas in the country.
“MPIB will continue improving the country’s pineapple industry with various assistance, initiatives, advisory services and support, especially to smallholders and entrepreneurs involved in the industry,” he added.
To boost the sector, Sahruddin said several improvement strategies were also planned, including increasing the involvement of pineapple entrepreneurs in cooperative or pineapple farming group activities to improve the efficiency of the production of the crop.
He added MPIB will expand the use of new technology for pineapple cultivation activities in the country through the Internet of Things (IoT) such as remote sensing, fertilisation methods and the use of modern machinery in increasing effectiveness in pineapple crop management in line with the National Agro-Food Policy 2021-2030 (DAN 2.0). – Bernama
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