PINEAPPLE (Ananas comosus) is a one of the most popular tropical fruits in Malaysia. It is categorized in a group of major fruit because that has a great potential to generate incomes for farmers, as well as countries. Its popularity is due to its multi-forms in consumption. Matured pineapples can be eaten fresh as dessert or salads; cooked as mostly found in local delicacies; or processed into juice and jams, among others. The juice from young pineapples is believed to be suitable for treatment of various diseases because it is rich in nutrients such as bromelain and vitamin A and B1. In addition, pineapple also contains citric acid that can effectively eliminate fat and help in reducing weight. The updated info about pineapple in Malaysia continue that pineapples are mostly planted in the states of Johor, Sarawak, Sabah, Kedah, Selangor, Penang, and Kelantan. Among the varieties of pineapples planted in Malaysia are MORIS, MORIS Gajah, Josapine, Yankee, Gandul, N36, and MD2. However, only two local varieties namely Josapine and N36 have been successfully exported, mainly to Singapore and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) because these varieties have a long shelf-life (Abu Kasim et al., 2010). Currently, the MD2 variety, which originated from Hawaii is also planted and marketed in local as well as for international markets. Pineapple uses 6.3% agrofood area in Malaysia, which is the fourth largest area after durian (41.3%), banana (18.0%), and rambutan (9.8%). In Malaysia, pineapples are grown in area of around 10,847 hectares with an estimated production of 272,570 metric tons in 2015 (DOA, 2016). Figure 1 shows the trends of production, export, and area of pineapple industry from 1975 to 2015. Within 40 years, the production trend of Malaysia’s pineapples slightly grew upward compared to areas planted. This is due to the application of technology such as high density planting system, mechanization during planting and use of better fertilizers. However, the exports of Malaysian fresh pineapples showed a constant trend even though the production is increasing since 1975 until 2015, (DOA, 2016 and Raziah, 2009). This is due to higher demand from local consumption.
Malaysia was one of the big players in the pineapple industry. It was one of the three main pineapple producing countries during the 1960s and 1970s, after Costa Rica and the Philippines. However, Malaysia's position as the main pineapple exporter in the world has been taken over by other countries. In 2013, Costa Rica, Brazil, the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, India, Nigeria, China, Mexico, and Colombia are the top 10 pineapple producers supplying around 70.5% output of pineapples to the world (Fig. 3). Other important producers are Ghana and other countries including Malaysia which provides most of the remaining outputs (29.5%) (Comtrade, 2016). Malaysia's position in the world pineapple production has dropped to number 20. However, Malaysia still plays a major role in the world pineapple trade. Malaysian Pineapple Industry Board (MPIB, 2016) reported that Malaysia exports about 20,278.9 tons of fresh pineapples to several countries, particularly to its traditional destination Singapore, followed by processed products such as canned pineapples (8,853.4 tons), pineapple slips (8,356.4 tons), and pineapple juice (1,461.6 tons), in 2015. The current pineapples export trend shows a potential to enter the new markets such as China and Europe, in addition to improve its existing markets in Singapore, UAE, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia.
Malaysia is a net exporter of pineapples. The Self-Sufficiency Level (SSL) of pineapples was recorded around 106.7% in 2017, showing a reduction by 0.3% from the previous year. Even though the production of pineapples exceeded the local demand, Malaysia still imports fresh pineapples from neighboring countries such as Thailand and Indonesia. The import dependency ratio (IDR) of pineapples however, showed an increase of 0.1% compared to 2013 (0.7%). Increase in population and preferences are among the reasons for the increase in uses of fresh pineapples on a per capita basis. For example, the consumption per capita has increased by 35% in 2014, compared to 2013, which is 5.8 kg per person per year (DOSM, 2016). Asian region is a major supplier of pineapples in the world. The Asian region which contributed almost 50% of the world pineapple production during the 2005-2014 and accounted for around 48%, followed by Americas (36.6%) and Africa (14.4%) (FAO, 2016). The prospects of the pineapple industry for the next 10 years is bright, in line with the various strategies that have been identified and implemented to strengthen the value chain. Several policies intervention helped to achieve the self-sufficiency target, thus improving the income of local residents through programs that are executed either in the National Agricultural Policy (NAP), Eleventh Malaysia Plan (11thMP), Economic Transformation Program (ETP) and others. Programs and projects implemented by the Government seems to be effective and resulted with a stronger industry. The continuous explorations of new markets and attaining marketing efficiency from the existing ones as well as the production of downstream products have provided new opportunities for the huge pineapple markets. Therefore, policy interventions have an impact to promote the Malaysian pineapple industry globally. This article was updated recently for references. Thanks.
By,
M Anem,
Senior Agronomist,
Bandar Baru UDA, Johor BAhru,
Johor, Malaysia.
(5 Ramadan 1439H).
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