(From left) Jong, Lee and Uggah at the MD2 pineapple farm.
MIRI: Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas encourages pineapple farmers here to consider venturing into downstream activities to widen the market for their produce as usually only 60 per cent of the fruits could be exported fresh.
“The balance 40 per cent may not be able to sell fresh for all sorts of reason. But the downstream market has very big potential. You can go into producing pineapple juice, pineapple jam or even pineapple tart,” he said.
He told reporters this after visiting a MD2 pineapple farm run by Koperasi Pembangunan Pertanian Bersatu Timur Bhd in Senadin here yesterday.
Accompanying him during the visit were Assistant Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Datuk Lee Kim Shin and Koperasi Pembangunan Pertanian Bersatu Timur Bhd chairman Jong Tze Khiun.
Uggah said Md2 is a very popular pineapple species developed in Malaysia as it has longer shelf life and is planted for export to overseas including Europe.
“I hope this group (Koperasi Pembangunan Pertanian Bersatu Timur Bhd) also look into downstream activities and market,” he said.
Meanwhile, Uggah suggested to Jong that the farm could also be turned into a tourist destination by opening the area for visitors to see how the pineapple are grown and how they are processed into products like tarts or jam like inTaiwan.
“Perhaps they can have a platform where people can go up and see the pineapple plantation, and they can sell pineapple products such as tarts and jam at the venue as well.
“Such places can be very attractive to tourists. I think people from Brunei will come and visit this place. This is another product we can go into.
“I hope the cooperative can look along that area and I hope they consult the Agriculture Department, because now we are guiding farmers on how to make sure that their product meets the requirement of international market,” he said further.
Uggah said the state government is encouraging farmers to go into food production especially fruits as the Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg targets that by 2030, Sarawak will become net exporter of food products.