CASSAVA - ECONOMIC STUDY IN MALAYSIA

IN MALAYSIA the processing of sago starch predates that of cassava and having been established before 1416. With its introduction Cassava (Manihot esculenta) in which is a much shorter term crop, quickly replaced sago palm as the preferred raw material among starch processors. Commonly called in other language as Cassava, Manioc, Yuca, Ubi Kayu, Singkong, Macaxeira, Mandioca, Aipim and many other locality. Cassava is a woody shrub native to South America of the spurge family that is Euphorbiaceae. Cassava is a long tuberous starchy root that is an essential ingredient in many Latin American and Caribbean cuisines. It is eaten mashed, added to stews, and used to make bread and chips. Cassava also known as tapioca or Ubi Kayu in Malaysia must be cooked or pressed before it's eaten and found to be poisonous in its raw form. In 2019 about 3,3,37 hectare cassava was grown in Malaysia producing 48,562 metric ton for domestic and small amount export to Singapore (Source: Food Crop Statistic, Department of Agriculture Malaysia). . Hence, except for a small amount serving the fresh food market, cassava is planted in Malaysia mainly for starch processing. The cassava area in Peninsular Malaysia has declined steadily to 1,631 ha in 1997 after peaking in 1976 at 20,913 ha. This decline is due to the curbing of illegal cultivation; land alienation policy with a bias against cassava; switching from cassava to more lucrative crops; rising costs of production; low prevailing price for cassava roots; and competition for land for agricultural and non-agricultural activities during the economic boom prior to July 1997. Of the eight starch factories reported in Perak in 1984, only two are still in operation. 

Recently, in Sabah, a starch factory opened to process roots supplied through contract farming from an area of more than 3,000 ha. In trade, cassava starch takes the form of flour, flakes, pearls and starch powder. There is a growing demand for starch with imports amounting to 88,210 tonnes in 1997. Most of this starch is used in food industries, particularly for making monosodium glutamate (using about 3,000 tonnes of starch per month). Other significant users are manufacturers of glucose, bakery and biscuit products, textiles and paper. There is also increasing interest in growing edible varieties of cassava for processing into snacks. The future potential in terms of domestic demand for cassava starch is very good. Since the onset of the economic downturn faced by Southeast Asia, the Malaysian government has actively encouraged agriculture (to offset the country's huge food import bill amounting to almost US$ 2.9 billion a year) by providing easier access to farmland. There is recent renewed enthusiasm for planting cassava for production of starch, dried chips for livestock feed and sweeteners (High Fructose Glucose Syrup or HFGS). 

For large-scale mechanized cassava production, certain prerequisites of soil type, terrain, climate and farm size matching the factory's capacity, must be satisfied. While land is hard to come by in Peninsular Malaysia, more than 80,000 ha of land are still available in Sabah. Starch is the most likely product to be feasible and profitable in the immediate future compared to dried chips and HFGS production, because of a high demand in the local market, and a well-established technology for starch processing. Stable, high-yielding varieties with intermediate to high starch content to ensure higher starch recovery are required; better still if they can be harvested early. The potential of using cassava as a carbohydrate-rich animal feedstuff is promising, but being low in protein compared to maize, additional protein is required from another source, entailing extra costs. Also, it is costly to dry cassava by artificial means. Although it is technically possible to produce HFGS from cassava, it involves converting starch by enzymatic processes - a complicated and expensive procedure. This does not seem economically feasible in the immediate future, given the current low world price for sugar. Instead, modified starches and their products have very good future potential as profitable agro-based industries.  Thankyou...

By,

M Anim Hosnan,

Senior Agronoomist,

Putrajaya,

Malaysia.

June 2020.