KOTA KINABALU: The state Agriculture and Fisheries Ministry will form a strategic collaboration with its federal counterpart to develop the pineapple industry in Sabah.
Sabah Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan said such collaboration will see representatives from both ministries form a committee to formulate ways to increase the pineapple productivity.
"Currently, the industry only produces less than RM200 million worth of pineapples a year. With this collaboration, we hope to increase the acreage to 4,100 hectare in five years with a production value of RM643 million.
"This would also increase our participants' monthly income to an average of RM8,900, and the industry is expected to provide 26,000 jobs for the locals," he said after a meeting with the federal Agriculture and Food Industries Ministry deputy secretary general Datuk Badrul Hisham Mohammad at Wisma Pertanian here today.
Kitingan who is also the state Agriculture and Fisheries Minister said the collaboration was necessary because Sabah cannot afford to fall behind in the growing food market, such as the pineapple industry.
He said both parties have also been discussing the issue for the past 14 years with no resolution in sight, and further delays will hamper the growth of the pineapple industry in Sabah.
"This decision was made after careful consideration of the sensitivity of the issue. Agriculture falls under the state list, and we will defend this right.
"In fact, Sabah has already decided, we will set up our own Sabah Pineapple Industry Board soon to protect our interests, but it does not mean we cannot cooperate with the federal government on this," he said, adding that the committee will serve as the meeting point between Sabah and the federal.
It will deliberate and make decisions to ensure that Sabah can benefit and learn from the Malaysian Pineapple Industry Board (MPIB) and transfer the knowledge to Sabah for the sake of the industry here, he added.
Through the collaboration, the federal ministry will assist in land development and centralised production, as well as to establish the fruit valley of Sabah and the rural micro business system (RMBS).
Other programmes include community farm programme (kebuniti), young agropreneur Programme, integrated entrepreneur development, collection and processing centres and grading and marketing centres.
"Sabah has enormous potential in the pineapple industry. The main issue is the lack of supply of pineapple suckers or pups and we must do whatever it takes, including establish more nurseries, to ensure the industry's sustainability," he said.
Kitingan believes that once the supply issue is resolved, Sabah could become one of the region's main pineapple suppliers.