Kedah Aims To Become Major Pineapple Producer

ALOR SETAR (Malaysia), Nov 16 (Bernama) -- The Kedah government is assisting pineapple farmers in developing high-density planting, including tilling idle land, in its quest to become a major pineapple producer. Kedah is a northen state in Peninsular Malaysia. State Industry and Investment, Science and Innovation, Agriculture and Biotechnology, and Entrepreneurial Development Committee chairman Amiruddin Hamzah said through high-density planting innovations, between 80,000 and 85,000 of pineapple trees could be planted per hectare compared with only 30,000 trees through normal planting. He said the state government and the Malaysian Pineapple Industry Board were assisting farmers to market the harvest besides developing downstream products such as canned pineapple, juice and jam. Responding to a question from Md Rohsidi Osman at the State Assembly here Wednesday, Amiruddin said the Pineapple Growers Association made up of about 100 farmers had been set up to coordinate the planting. However, he said, the production of 13,400 metric tons of pineapples from 966ha valued at RM21.24 million (US$1=RM3.14) was still way off target to cultivate 4,000ha by 2015. -- BERNAMA