PINEAPPLE REACH BILLION IN MALAYSIA

MALAYSIA 'S PINEAPPLE (Ananas comosus) industry has become a billion-ringgit sector with farmers earning up to RM9,000 (S$2,710) a month a marking a significant milestone in the country’s agri-food success story. Reported that the nation recorded RM1.3 billion in pineapple output value in 2024 thats up 34 per cent from the previous year. The country’s pineapple production volume rose 17 per cent to 520,000 metric tonnes in which it was cultivated across 13,000 ha of productive farmland. This shows that pineapples are not just a fruit we enjoy, but a true engine of rural economic development. Malaysia now has more than 8,000 pineapple growers and over 300 companies involved in the sector, ranging from small- to large-scale operations. Self-sufficiency level for pineapples has reached 103 per cent, allowing Malaysia to meet its domestic demand and expand its export potential and in the case of a Johor farmer who doubled his income from RM180,000 to RM350,000 annually by using drone technology in his operations. Some of the key highlights regarding the RM billion pineapple sector in Malaysia where a Billion-Ringgit Milestone (2024- 2025) in which the industry officially surpassed the billion-ringgit mark in output value, reaching RM1.3 billion in 2024, a 34% increase from the previous year. Re[orted that Johor Leads Production asa the top producer, contributing over 56% of the national output. Johor's pineapple exports have exceeded RM1 billion annually. Export Targets in which the government has set a target to increase total pineapple exports to RM2 billion by 2027. For the new Investment and development where Sarawak is developing a RM1 billion foreign-backed export hub in Tanjung Manis to strengthen the industry value chain. A RM10 million modern canning facility is being built in Sarawak and with the new hybrid pineapple such as SG1 and MS16 is expected to enter the market in 2025. The government allocated RM23 million in 2025 to support industry expansion, including R&D and seedling production. The national planted area has increased, with over 5,400 growers participating as of late 2025. The industry has reached a 103% self-sufficiency level. The industry is viewed as a 'new source of wealth' where it transforming from a small-scale crop into a high-value export sector, with farmers in some regions, such as Johor and it significantly increasing their income through modern technology. Johor exported pineapples worth RM1 billion this year alone, exceeding last year's figure of RM600 million. This article in "Anim Agriculture Technology" article report about how the pineapple industry able to reach billion Ringgit in MAlaysia as a success story.

Reported thar Germany has requested if it was possible to supply about a thousand containers a week, but even if we were to collect the country's entire pineapple output, it still wouldn't be enough to cope with the huge German demand for pineapple. This shows that Germany is willing to buy as much pineapple from us for the European market. For this reason, we hope it (pineapple production and exportation) will be successful because it will open up a wider market in Europe, and it will also lead to new business opportunities for farmers, enabling them to specialise in the MD2 pineapple market in Europe. Pineapples have previously been exported to China, Japan, Qatar, Turkey, and South Korea during a press conference after officially sending off the first MD2 pineapple export to Germany at the Kulim Pineapple Farm in Ulu Tiram today. The programme was organised by the Pineapple Industries Board, which saw Kulim (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd becoming the biggest pineapple distributor to Germany before it is redistributed to a few other European countries. In Malaysia, pineapple is the first crop grown as a commodity or industrial crop with high export potential. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Malaysia was the number three exporter in the world for canned pineapple. However, its ability to remain competitive suffered tremendous setback. While other industrial crops, particularly rubber and oil palm gained accelerated momentum in their development, pineapple did not follow the pattern. During the last three decades (1973-2003), the Malaysian pineapple industry had deteriorated.
The total planted areas for pineapples have decreased by 52% from 13,267 ha in 1973 to 6,434 in 2003. The decline was most significant in the smallholder sector which experienced a decrease from 8,498 ha in 1973 to 1,366 ha in 2002. In the estate sector, the planted areas have increased by 211 ha, but have remained static at 5,000 ha from 1990 to 2004. The export value of canned pineapples decreased from RM 52.0 million in 1997 to RM 32.0 million in 2008. Despite the fact that Malaysia’s pineapple industry declined, the industry including the trading of neighboring countries, particularly Thailand, the Philippines and Indonesia and globally in general, continue to develop and expand. This, consequently, suggests that the pineapple industry in Malaysia has good potential to escalate.
This paper addresses the strategies of reviving the pineapple industry and trading in Malaysia.

The local media stated that 'Malaysia's pineapple industry reaches billion-ringgit milestone' in which Malaysia's pineapple industry has become a billion-ringgit sector, with farmers earning up to RM9,000 a month, marking a significant milestone in the country's agri-food success story. It was announced bya Agriculture and Food Security Minister that the nation recorded RM1.3bil in pineapple output value in 2024, reflecting a 34% increase from the previous year. The country’s pineapple production volume rose 17% to 520,000 metric tonnes, cultivated across 13,000ha of productive farmland.  This shows that pineapples are not just a fruit we enjoy, but a true engine of rural economic development," he said in his speech at the inaugural Malaysian Pineapple Day at Johor Bahru. Malaysia now has more than 8,000 pineapple growers and over 300 companies involved in the sector, ranging from small to large-scale operations. The self-sufficiency level for pineapples has reached 103%, allowing Malaysia to meet its domestic demand and expand its export potential. Minister highlighted the case of a Johor farmer who doubled his income from RM180,000 to RM350,000 annually by integrating drone technology into his operations. In Pahang, the Hijrah Asnaf Pineapple Farming programme has helped 18 participants, mainly from underprivileged groups, earn monthly incomes of up to RM5,000 after just a few months of cultivation. The Federal Government has allocated RM75 million for pineapple development in Sarawak under the 12th Malaysia Plan (RMK-12). Farmers in Ulu Moyan three are already producing 50 tonnes of pineapples monthly and have set up their own processing facilities. The Sarawak’s innovation in using pineapple waste as livestock feed and the launch of the new Sarawak Gold (SG1) variety as an alternative to the MD2 premium hybrid. This shows a strong commitment from the Sarawak government to turn pineapple into a strategic commodity while supporting green economy principles. In Kedah, artificial intelligence (AI) and satellite imaging are being used to monitor crops, boosting yield by 30% while reducing operational costs by 40%. These advances in technologies are helping prepare Malaysia to meet growing demand from foreign markets like China and Singapore. Under the upcoming 13th Malaysia Plan, the ministry aims to expand cultivated land to 30,000 hectares, increase production to 1 million metric tonnes, and double pineapple exports from 2,300 to 4,000 containers annually. It was reported that Johor remains the top pineapple-producing state in the country, contributing 68% of total cultivated land, thanks to strong collaboration with the state government. Also stated that more states, private firms, and individuals to participate in the pineapple sector, highlighting that the crop is now both a national asset and a symbol of the better rural transformation in pineapple industry. Thanks...

By,

M Anem,

Senior Agronomist Expert,

Putrajaya,

Malaysia.

(February 2026).