PEPPER INDUSTRY NEEDS TO SHIFT FROM PURSUING PRODUCTION INCREASE TO QUALITY, SAYS NORAINI
BETONG, Sept 17 (Bernama) -- The country's pepper industry needs to shift from merely pursuing increased production to producing high-quality and high-value products to ensure that farmers earn better income.
The Minister of Plantation and Commodities Datuk Seri Dr Noraini Ahmad said that the success of the agricommodity industry should not be assessed solely based on production volume, but rather by considering the value ultimately received by the farmers.
She said Malaysia's strength lies in the quality and identity of Sarawak pepper, which has the advantage of penetrating the international premium market.
For example, Malaysia exported 12.8 tonnes of Cream White Pepper worth RM1.024 million from 2022 to May last year, among others to Japan and Vietnam, in addition to receiving requests from Scandinavian countries.
"When the quality meets market demands, the country's pepper can be marketed at a higher value," he said while speaking at the Pepper Industry Sustainability Seminar at the Spaoh Community Hall near here today.
Noraini said that under the Pepper Planting Sustainability Programme in Malaysia, the government aims to expand premium pepper cultivation by 750 hectares (ha), in addition to managing 800 ha of mature pepper plants, with a focus on increasing yield, quality and farmers' income.
She said that Sarawak has an important position in determining the future of the country's pepper industry because almost the entire area of Malaysia's pepper cultivation is located in the state, thus requiring continuous cooperation between the federal government and Sarawak.
In Betong alone, there are 5,070 pepper farmers with a cultivation area of 1,102.8 ha, making this commodity one of the important sources of income for the local community.
Noraini added that industry also needs to expand the use of technology, premium pepper production, and value-added downstream activities so that the ultimate goal is not just to produce more pepper, but to build a stronger industry that provides better returns to farmers.
-- BERNAMA
