COMMERSIAL MD2 PINEAPPLE AT MERSING

Cultivating MD2 pineapple plants in an efficient, effective and sustainable manner with commercial approach. At Kg Tanah Abang, Mersing, Johor The Sustainable Pineapple Cluster (KNAL) project in Tanah Abang here is expected to produce young entrepreneurs from among the B40 group, thus increasing the involvement of contract entrepreneurs in the industry. Minister Salahuddin (second from right) signing a plaque during the launch of the Sustainable Pineapple Cluster project. Malaysian Pineapple Industry Board (MPIB) chairman Datuk Abdul Malik said the initiative by MPIB was to help cultivate MD2 pineapple plants in an efficient, effective and sustainable manner. This project was initiated in 2015 before by the Ex-Director General MPIB Dato' Mohd Anim introduce the restructuring with the new approach with the private sector involvement in 2018. The project was a joint-venture with Johor Corporation (JCorp), Kulim (Malaysia) Berhad under KPF, Agrobank and MOA Young Agropreneur Unit, spanned 121.5ha of land and had 12 B40 participants manning 48.5ha of the total area.One of the main objectives of the KNAL project is to create a permanent pineapple zone or cluster, increase crop production, raise the income of participants to at least RM5,000 a month and encourage private sector involvement in the country’s pineapple industry.

Also present were the ministry’s secretary-general (Policy) Datuk Haslina and Mersing district officer Asman Shah Abdul Rahman.Abdul Malik said based on its extensive experience in the pineapple farming sector, Kulim Pineapple Farm (KPF)  a subsidiary of Kulim (Malaysia) Berhad  had been appointed by MPIB as the anchor company in managing and as operator for developing the farm commercially. All the selected participants were allocated a maximum area of ​​four hectares each in phases, and provided with 200,000 MD2 pineapple sprouts. For the first phase the participants were given 100,000 MD2 suckers in advance from LPNM and KPF. Later the participants will also given a grant of RM20,000 each from the MOA Young Agropreneur Unit, with agricultural input and equipment. Agrobank currently as the project financer had also provided each participant with RM50,000 for the development of the plantations, all of which were placed under the management of KPF. Bernama.

Thanks.

By,

M Anim,

Senior Agronoomist,

Hotel Sri Malaysia Mersing,

Mersing, Johor,

Malaysia.

January 2020.