Malaysia’s Malaysian Pineapple Industry Board is expanding cultivation of the Sarawak Gold-1 pineapple variety across Peninsular Malaysia to increase productivity and strengthen supplies for the processing sector, with Melaka the next state in line to receive the variety.
Khairuzamri M Salleh, director-general of the Malaysian Pineapple Industry Board, says around 500 hectares of SG-1 crops are already under cultivation in Negeri Sembilan, Selangor, and Pahang. The variety was sourced from Taiwan and first introduced in Miri, Sarawak, in December 2022. It reaches maturity in nine months, compared to 14 to 16 months for the widely grown MD2 variety. “So it can be harvested quicker to help increase planters’ income,” Khairuzamri says.
Khairuzamri says SG-1 matches MD2 in quality but carries a sweeter flavour, making it suitable for both fresh consumption and industrial processing. The board targets 60% of SG-1 output for juice production and canned pineapples, a segment that accounts for around 70% of Malaysia’s pineapple export value. “This segment accounts for about 70% of pineapple export value, which previously reached RM1.4 billion,” he says.
The variety is currently being introduced to local operators and the public, including tourists, as it remains largely unavailable on the retail market.