MAHA 2014: Future Technologies and Trends of Malaysian Agriculture Pg2

9 772289 651006

ISSN 2289-6511

Biodegradable Packaging From Pineapple Fibres

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Mechanization Set to Quadruple Pineapple Production

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DNA Profiling to Improve Pineapple Breeding Strategies

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Josapine Retrospective Road to Success

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MAHA 2014

EDITION

New agriculture is the by-word at the Malaysia Agriculture, Horticulture and Agrotourism Exhibition or MAHA.As the regions largest and most comprehensive

exhibition of its kind, MAHA 2014 is focusing on the latest technologies and innovations in agriculture, horticulture and agrotourism with the theme Agro-technology Catalyst For Transformation.

The 11-day event is held concurrently with another high-profile event, The Farmers, Livestock Producers and Fishermens Day (HPPNK), which recognises the significant contributions made by agriculture communities across the country and for their efforts in producing food-based materials and agricultural products for domestic needs as well as the international market.

MAHA 2014 will continue to take the lead in the region by gathering industry players and profes-sionals from various sectors to explore and seize the

opportunities from the new emerging agro-based businesses and innovative agriculture.

In conjunction with the Visit Malaysia Year 2014, a special emphasis will also be highlighted to promote the agrotourism industry in Malaysia.

In addition to the latest innovations and technologies, visitors of MAHA 2014 will have the experiential learning of the colours of Malaysian culture and agricultural products, fresh and processed.

Visitors will witness various demonstrations in the field of livestock, vegetables, f lowers, rice, machineries and pineapples.

MAHA 2014 will showcase the success of agriculture, agro-based industry and livestock from the perspective of cutting edge technologies and innovations. They are separated into eight specific categories as follows:

A special cluster, MAgIC, specially created to showcase the latest innovations and technologies in Malaysian agriculture

HPPNK, the Farmers, Livestock producers and Fishermens Day

Agro-based industry, promoting the business of agro-based products and services

Agrotourism, promoting the agrotourism industry in Malaysia

Agroyouth, designed to encourage and motivate the development of young and future agropreneurs

Agrolifestyle focused at encouraging visitors to adopt agro lifestyle

Agrofood Industries showcasing the best in crops, livestock, fisheries and machineries

Agrotrade features businesses that promote local and international agriculture products and services

Welcome to MAHA 2014

By: Raziah Mat Lin and Nik Rahimah Nik Omar, Economic and Technology Management Research Centre, MARDI

Although much has been done to help improve the production and export of Malaysian pineapples, a macro view of the situation and long term studies show that technologies that have been developed have not succeeded in sustaining an increase in pineapple production.

Pineapple is an important commodity for Malaysia and we have over 100 years of experience

in the cultivation, commercial production and processing of the fruit. Thus, we need to find ways of taking full advantage of our position.

A detailed study needs to be carried out to determine the reasons for the decrease in productivity in the pineapple industry.

Technical factors such as soil fertility, infrastructure, technology delivery systems, technological practices, farm management and socioeconomic factors such as the age of farmers, education level, experience, entrepreneurship and other factors should be closely investigated.

Strong demand for our pineapple varieties has been invaluable in supporting our industry and this has made Malaysia one of the key exporters of fresh pineapples in the world. Demand from the far-east and the middle-east have grown tremendously.

A proven way of improving farm productivity is by grouping sma l lholders far ms into large-scale farms which can then be better managed and monitored to ensure productivity and quality.

Scenario and Prospects of the Malaysian Pineapple Industry

Josapine pineapples to meet rising global demand

More on page 5

Nov 2014Vol: 003

MAHA 2014 Targets 3.5 Million Visitors

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The Malaysian Government is serious in transforming the agriculture sector and making it one of the key economic growth areas.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry is taking all necessary steps to fulfill the Governments plan for the sector and one of the important ways of promoting the sector is through the popular Malaysia Agriculture, Horticulture and Agrotourism exhibition or MAHA.

MAHA 2014 will focus on attracting the youth into agriculture by showcasing the latest technologies and innovations in the sector as a way of showing that farming will always remain relevant even in the future.

The food we consume for sustenance come from the soil, through the toil of farmers, livestock producers and fishermen and no matter how advanced we become humans will still need to eat.

The 2015 budget allocation of RM 6 billion towards the development of the sector reaffirms the Governments commitment and focus towards food production and self-sufficiency.

Our focus is always on the future and the young people who will be the backbone of the agricultural industry and we want to increase their participa-tion in every aspect of the industry especially as agropreneurs.

Land will inevitably become scarcer for agriculture in the future as more of it is allocated for development; our focus is on increasing productivity and farmers income so that it falls in line with our

aim of becoming a high-income nation.The best way to attract the interest of young

farmers is by making farming and agro-based businesses a high-income option.

Farm mechanisation is almost inevitable if Malaysias farmers are to join the high-income bandwagon and MARDI is finding ways of improving our farm productivity while maintaining sustain-ability and not making the same mistakes incurred in more developed nations.

Mechanisation can be a way forward but it can also be very expensive so MARDI is always carrying out research on suitable technologies for the future of agriculture in Malaysia.

The inclusion of the latest innovations and machineries at MAHA 2014 helps to convince the younger generation that farming is a high-tech industry with a bright future. In fact farming is becoming popular even among those who do not typically consider farming as a business. For example, several Malaysian artistes have become farmers.

Rosyam Noor is into livestock, Fizo is into burger production and Zizan Razak is thinking about starting a cattle farm.I would like to take this opportunity to invite all Malaysians to MAHA 2014, November 20 and 21 are trade days and the exhibition is opened to the public from Nov 22 to 30.

MAHA 2014: Future Technologies and Trends of Malaysian AgricultureMinister of Agriculture, Dato Sri Ismail Sabri says:

The biennial Malaysia Agriculture, Horticulture dan Agrotourism Exhibition (MAHA) will be held from 20 to 30 November and the Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry expects the event to attract 3.5 million visitors.

This years theme is Agrotechnol-ogy - catalyst for transformation and as usual the massive event will be held at the Malaysia Agro-Exposition Park Serdang (MAEPS), Selangor.

MAHA 2014 is jointly organised by the Malaysian Agriculture Research and Development Institute (MARDI) and the Federal Agriculture Marketing Agency (FAMA) with the support of departments and agencies under the Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry (MOA).

This year, MAHA will be held in conjunction with the National Farmers, Livestock Producers and Fishermen Day 2014 and will showcase the transfor-mation taking place in the agriculture sector of Malaysia.

Apart from being a great platform for networking, the event is expected to attract activists and professionals from various fields and allow them to share the latest innovations and technologies with the world.

MAHA 2014 will feature 13 agricultural clusters, highlighting successful collaboration between departments and agencies under the MOA and the private sector. The clusters are as follows:

Agro-Based Industry Agrotrade Agrotourism Agroyouth Agrolifestyle Agrofood - Fruits and Floriculture Agrofood - Pineapple Agrofood - Vegetable and herbs Agrofood - Livestock Agrofood - Fishery Agrofood - Mechanisation Agrofood - Rice MAgIC

Publicity campaign for MAHA 2014 was kicked off on April 10, with a launch ceremony officiated by

Agriculture and Agro Based Industry Minister, Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

The objective of the launch was to introduce the new concept for MAHA with focus on eight key sectors that include the National Farmers, Breeders, Fishermens Day celebrations, Agro-trade, Agrofood industry, Agro-based industry, Agroyouth, Malaysia Agriculture and Innovation Challenge (MAgIC) Agrotourism and Agro-lifestyle.

The eight key sectors were chosen because they can be related to the Ministrys tagline Agriculture is Business in an interesting way that can be easily accepted by the public, and especially the younger generation who will be the backbone of Malaysian agriculture in the future.

DATO DR. SHARIF HARON DIRECTOR GENERAL MARDI

MAHA 2014 Targets 3.5 Million VisitorsEDITORIAL

Advisor DatoDr.SharifHaron

(Director General MARDI)

MARDI Editorial Team Dr.MohamadRoffMohdNoor

Dr.AinuHusnaMSSuhaimi

RohaniMdYon

MaheswaryVellupillai

NorhafizahMohdYusof

Copywriter ShamsulBahariMohdYunos

Designer ShamHosni

Art Director SpiceCommunicationsSdnBhd

For enquiries, please contact

ScientiaMARDIMARDIHeadquarters,PersiaranMARDI-UPM,43400SerdangSelangor,

Tel: 603-89437317Fax: 603-89843664Email:scientia.mardi@gmail.com shusna@mardi.gov.my

VIEW POINT2 Nov2014

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The Many Facets of the Pineapple

By: Nurzam Idziani Che Hussain @ Zakaria, Food Technology Research Centre, MARDI

High cellulose content makes pineapple fibres a good bio-degradable replacement for petroleum-based packaging materials which threaten the environment.

MARDI researchers have found a way to turn what is essentially a waste product of the pineapple industry into environmentally friendly and safe food packaging alternative.

Sago starch binders and pineapple fibre fillers have been successfully combined in a mixer to produce a composite that is suitable for producing food packaging, trays, plastic chips and other similar applications. The mixing process is carried out at a temperature of 150C in a vessel with the rotor spinning at 55 rpm for eight minutes.

There is an urgent need to find alternatives to petroleum-based polymers and bio-polymers. Starch and cellulose are suitable materials because they can be obtained easily from accessible renewable resources

and they are biodegradable.This natural alternative has the

added characteristic of being cheaper than petroleum-based products.

Biodegradation is a process where organic chemicals are mineralised and unraveled into simpler elements such as carbon, nitrogen and sulphur.

The search for biodegrad-able packaging materials is important because consumers in the economy-driven modern world use huge amount of packaging materials and they are a serious threat to the environment. Petroleum is also a finite resource and recent trends indicate that the price of oil will continue to advance as oil dwindles.

Biodegradable Packaging From Pineapple Fibres

By: Hasimah Hafiz Ahmad, Food Technology Research Centre, MARDI

Pineapple is the third most important tropical fruit in the world and is well accepted in the international market. Key global pineapple producers are Thailand, the Philippines, Brazil and China.

What is known as the pineapple in English speaking nations is called Ananas in France and Germany. In the Philippines and Spanish speaking countries it is known as Ananas or Pina. The Thais called it Sapparot while the Vietnamese called it Dua.

The pineapple is native to Brazil, Bolivia and Paraguay and it is cultivated by traditional communities all over South America before finally breaking out into the world through the Carribean Islands.

Explorer Christopher Columbus first saw it in Guadeloupe, in the Lesser Antilles in 1493 and brought it back to Europe. The Spaniards introduced the fruit to the Philippines and Hawaii while the Portuguese brough it to our shores in the 16th century.

The people of the Carribean put the fruit or its crown on their front door as a sign of welcome or friendship while the Europeans incorporated it into their carvings and ornaments as they consider it exotic and unique.

The pineapple was first canned in the Malay Peninsular in 1888 by a retired sailor and it was exported through Singapore port.

The history of food technology in Malaysia began in 1936 with the esta-blishment of the Food Canning Unit and in 1950 research was focused on canning pineapples, pineapple juice production, transport and handling of pineapples and overcoming pineapple industry related problems.

Malaysia exports canned pineapples in the form of slices, cubes, tidbits, pulp, syrup and juice. Our pineapple cultivation covers 15,553 hectares and we produce 332, 736 metric tonnes in 2011 worth RM526,721,000.

Johor leads pineapple production with 8,850 hectares, followed by Sarawak with 2,195 hectares and Sabah with 1,278 hectares. (Statistics from Agromakanan 2011, MOA).

There are 2,000 types of pineapples worldwide which are categorised into four classes on the international market. They are Smooth Cayenne, Red Spanish, Queen and Abacaxi. However, there are many variations within each class. The common cultivars include Red Spanish, Hilo, Smooth Cayenne, St. Michael, Kona Sugarloaf, Natal Queen and Pernambuco. Pineapple varieties commonly cultivated in Malaysia are Maspine, Josapine, Moris, N36, Gandul, dan Sarawak.

Maspine and Gandul are the two most popular canning varieties because they have the most uniform shape from top to bottom and this makes machine

processing more efficient.Pineapples are full of vitamins,

minerals, enzymes and fibres which are beneficial for human digestion system and generally considered nutritious.

Pineapples are also a good source of vitamin C and have very low fat and sodium contents.

Pineapple-based products

Apart from consumption as fresh fruit, pineapples are also turned into cakes, pies, puddings, tarts and even savoury dishes such as pajeri or cooked in coconut milk to be consumed with rice.

Pineapple juice and mixed fruit juice are also popular refreshments and

they can be used to make clear juice, drinking juice, cordials, vinegar and wine.

Pineapples can also be fermented into solid gels called nata de coco.

Finely mashed pineapple f lesh, called pulps are used for further processing into pineapple rolls, powders and flakes.

Powders from juice or fibres processed from pineapple processing waste can also be further processed into low calorie jams, sweet sauce and hot sauce.

Vacuum fried pineapple chips with low fat content is another possible product from pineapple slices.

Another pineapple-based product that has hit the market is batter-coated frozen pineapple nuggets.

Other pineapple products which have entered the market are mixed fruit juices, fruit cocktails, dried fruits, confectioners jelly, low calorie-high energy granola bars, chocolate-coated pineapple, fruit chutney, pineapple filling, slices packed in juice and traditional jellied milk (dadih).

Pineapple juice and stem are also sources of bromelain enzymes which are capable of unraveling proteins and tenderising meat. They also contain alpha hydroxy acid and enzymes which are used as skin rejuvenator and dead skin cell scrubber.

Apart from its use in traditional healing, pineapples are also used as an-ti-inflammatory agent. In Philippines, pineapples are used as deworming medicine and leaf fibres are turned into threads and pina fabrics which are used in traditional garments. Pineapple fibres are also used for producing threads in China, India, West Africa and turned into nets and fabrics.

Pineapple tops and waste pulp can be dried and used as livestock feed.

The versatility of pineapples have earned it the nickname of Fruit of a thousand uses.

Nutritional content of 100 g of pineapples

Energy 202 kJ (48 kcal)

Carbohydrate 12.63 gSugar 9.26 gFibre 1.4 gFat 0.12 gProtein 0.54 gThiamine (Vit. B1) 0.079 mg (6%)Riboflavin (Vit. B2) 0.031 mg (2%)Niacin (Vit. B3) 0.489 mg (3%)Panthothenic acid (B5) 0.205 mg (4%)Vitamin B6 0.110 mg (8%)Folate (Vit. B9) 15 g (4%)Vitamin C 36.2 mg (60%)Calcium 13 mg (1%)Iron 0.28 mg (2%)Magnesium 12 mg (3%)Phosphorus 8 mg (1%)Potassium 115 mg (2%)Zinc 0.10 mg (1%)Source: USDA nutrient database

Percentage total are based on USDA recommended daily intake for adults.

TECHNOLOGY3Nov2014

By: Rohazrin Abd Rani and Ayob Hamid Mechanization and Automation Research Centre, MARDI

MARDI has developed a range of machineries specifically designed to help the pineapple industry that is long held back by lack of labour and low productivity.

The newly developed technologies focused on labour intensive aspects like land preparation, planting, fertilizing, crop maintenance and harvesting.

Pineapples make up 26.7 % of the total fruit production in Malaysia. It is one of the top ten fruits exported and the Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-based Industry is revitalizing the pineapple industry and this effort has seen more new areas converted to pineapple production including areas with mineral soil.

This revitalisation process is a great opportunity for implementing mecha-nisation in production of pineapples and MARDI has identified and developed package of machineries and implements that could speed up cultural operations in the local pineapple industry especially on mineral soils.

The package includes mechanized land preparation implements (plough, harrow and rotovator), mechanical pineapple transplanting machine, inter-row cultivator cum fertilizer applicator, boom sprayer, fruit harvesting machine, pineapple leaf slasher and plant mulcher cum shredder.

Mechanised land preparation

is a well established practice in the production of many other crops especially on mineral soils and contributes to increase farm productivity.

Working on the soil in the right way can improve its capacity to retain water and allow the circulation of air. Water and warmth in the soil is also important for plant germination and growth.

The mechanical pineapple transplanter is a three-man machine and it can transplant a hectare in 20 hours where manual operation would take 80 hours.

The machine is a 2-row 4-wheeled based tractor-mounted transplanter made up of two sets of planting unit or diggers which are connected to the main frame where the planting material bin is placed.

The planting material bin is designed to hold about 2,000 pineapple suckers.

Crop maintenance is one of the field activities that usually requires repetitive operations during a cropping cycle. It is not only labour intensive

but can also have safety ramifications especially in the handling of chemical inputs.

In pineapple production, the crop maintenance process can either be a single function or multiple functions in one operation. It consists of weeding and chemical inputs application.

The inter-row cultivator cum fertilizer applicator can perform two functions at once, weeding and granule fertilizer application.

The implement, which is equipped with a granular fertilizer bin, can provide an average work rate of about a hectare per hour but can be improved depending on plant density and ground terrain.

Chemical spraying is done through a 12-metre boom fed from an 800-liter tank. It is used for spraying weedecides, insecticides and even f lowering hormone. The machine is up to 5 times faster than manual operation using knapsack spraying machine.

The harvesting operation is one of the most laborious farm operations consuming the most man-hours per hectare. A fruit harvesting machine was developed to overcome the problem.

The machine consists of 12 meter boom equipped with rubber conveyor. During harvesting operation, the fruits are chopped manually by a gang of three field workers, and placed on the rubber conveyor which transfers the fruit into a collecting box mounted on a trailer. For a plot size of one hectare, the harvesting operation can be accomplished in one hour.

After harvesting, the standing

biomass is usually chemically treated and/or burnt to prepare the land for the next crop. Such a process is not environ-mentally friendly.

It is also a normal practice for the farmers to manually chop the plant to obtain suckers for the next cropping season. MARDI developed two machines for post harvesting operation, the pineapple leaf slasher and plant mulcher cum shredder.

The leaf slasher is used to slash and cut the top parts of the pineapple plant to enhance sucker growing. The mulcher cum shredder machine is used to shred the whole pineapple plants and plough them back into the soil.

Mechanisation can be costly and this is a major limitation for many individual farmers who own small plots.The minimum size for a mechanised farm operation in pineapple is about 40 hectares.

In larger commercial estate, farming operation could be the catalyst to purchase the machineries as their scale of operation can justify the investment and in turn provide the services to the smallholders at a cost.

Alternatively, machinery services can also be provided by machinery contractors, a supporting industry that has amicably served the rice industry in decades.

Mechanised farming also has specific requirements and it is best if plots are configured for mechanisation, with good provision of farm roads and headlands and correct plot dimension to avoid unnecessary downtime, soil and machine damage.

MechanisationSet to Quadruple Pineapple Production

Harvesting aid Interrow cultivating machine cum fertilizer applicator

Plant mulcher cum shredder Slashing machine

Long boom spraying machine

Pineapple transplanting machine

TECHNOLOGY4 Nov2014

By: Dr Rozlaily Zainol & Noorman Affendi Mardzuki, Horticulture Research Centre, MARDI

Every time pineapple comes into mind, we always imagine a spiny prickly plant that is uncomfort-able to handle in the field and biting aftertaste. The thought of pineapple plants with leaves as smooth as pandan leaves never crossed our minds and we have resigned to the acid-induced biting aftertaste. MARDI is determined to come up with solutions to both problems.

This is a big challenge because both of these characteristics exist in most pineapple cultivars planted in Malaysia such as Moris, Selangor Sweet, Gandul, N36, Sarawak and Josapine.

Moris and Selangor Sweet have completely spiny leaves whereby the later five cultivars have few occasional spines mostly at the leaf tips and sometimes considered as smooth leaves.

With the release of a new pineapple hybrid by MARDI back in 2005, Maspine exhibits the piping-leaf trait, which is the new type in the pineapple breeding community. The piping-leaf plant has completely smooth leaf margins and will not develop spines regardless of environ-mental conditions. This entire spineless leaf margin character has many advantages and benefits to the pineapple growers in terms of cultivation and farm management enabling easier and more efficient fruit harvesting.

Meanwhile, the biting after taste is so synonymous with pineapple that most consumers relate to it as the defining characteristic of the pineapple. MARDIs research could make it a thing of the past.

As consumer trends progress and evolve, a growing niche of consumers prefer pineapples with less or without this piquancy for health reasons.

The piquancy in most pineapples relates to the amount of acid content in the fruits. Unlike the popular Josapine, Maspine is an example of a new hybrid that looks good on the shelf and no biting aftertaste, thanks to its low acidity.

MARDI market research indicates that low acidity and high sugar level are characteristics that are preferred by most consumers and are expected to trend into future generations. These two components are responsible for

good flavour and aroma of the flesh. The sweet taste of Josapine is excellent with strong aroma due to high sugar and acid content whereas Maspine is plain sweet without piquancy and aroma due to the low acid content but it is preferable to some consumers because it does not have the biting aftertaste.

The present and future MARDI pineapple breeding programme will focus on developing the piping-leaf characteristic, which has become a standard trait for the development of new cultivars. A number of piping-leaf genotypes such as the Australian lines, 53-116 and 59-656, MD2 and our local Maspine have been incorporated into the heart of MARDIs breeding programmes.

As a result from this hybridisations, a new hybrid of piping-leaf and no biting aftertaste characteristics have been identified, evaluated and selected and is in the pipeline for release soon.

Switching to spineless piping-leaf makes fieldwork more manageable and increases the speed and efficiency of workers right from planting to harvesting, leading to better production at a lower cost.

Malaysia has a long history in pineapple cultivation on peat soils and is among the top 10 producers of pineapples in the world during the 70s. However, over time we have been surpassed by other countries such as Thailand, the Phillipines and Indonesia which are now the top 5 producers in the world due to cheaper inputs and labour costs.

Under the new Malaysian National Agricultural Plan or Dasar Agromakanan Negara (DAN) the future of pineapple cultivation looks bright with the intended expansion towards mineral soil areas in the northern corridor of Peninsular Malaysia, particularly in Kedah and Perak.

Total pineapple export is valued at RM86.3 million and it is expected to increase to RM100 million this year as reported by the Malaysian Pineapple Industry Board (MPIB). The expansion would mean a healthy increase of hectarage as well as overall pineapple production and should put back Malaysia on the top 10 list.

MARDI is confident that their current breeding approach will make Malaysian pineapples more popular in the global market again as it fits with current market demands for high sugar, low acidity fruit from non spiny plants.

By: Siti Norhayati Ismail and Dr. Norzihan Abdullah, Centre for Marker Discovery and Validation (CMDV), MARDI Dr Rozlaily Zainol, Horticulture Research Centre, MARDI

Pineapple cultivation has become one of the most important agricultural activities in Malaysia. To increase the production yield, the cultivation has been expanded from peat into the mineral soil type areas.

Total pineapple production has increased from 309,331 metric tonnes in 2011 to 334,400 metric tonnes in 2012 with the production value of about RM557 million (DOA, 2013).

With the increment of cultivation areas to 17,000 ha, the export for canned pineapple was valued about RM70-100 million whereas for the fresh consumption was RM83.6 million in 2013 (LPNM, 2013).

Due to its importance, MARDI has been conducting many studies on improving the performance of the local cultivars. Pineapples are highly heterozygous and hybridisation between them could lead to tremendous variation in the offspring, thus offering great potential in selection of genotypes with improved characteristics.

High yield, early fruiting, pest and disease resistance and fruits with high sugar content and low acidity are among a few selective characters aimed for in pineapple cultivar improvements.

Understanding the genetic diversity and relationship among pineapple accessions using DNA profiling can assist breeders in their breeding programme.

DNA profiling technology through the application of molecular markers has been introduced to provide fast, accurate and robust results for cultivar identification. It also acts as a tool

for evaluation of genetic diversity which can precisely assist breeders to establish effective breeding strategies. DNA fingerprinting of MARDI germplasm is also vital in ensuring that the accessions do not mix with one another.

With reliable amounts of unique markers found, it can act as a passport ID for each of the precious accessions in the germplasm collection. It can also help to detect any duplication in the germplasm collection.

Several types of molecular markers have been used in DNA profiling in pineapple including simple sequence repeat (SSR), amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) and random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD).

Using the latest technology, MARDIs Horticultural Research Centre (HRC) developed DNA profiles for 8 commercial varieties together with 2 new hybrid lines. The commercial varieties involved were Josapine, Maspine, Morris, Gandul, MD2, Sarawak, Yankee and N36 which were collected from MARDI Headquarters, Serdang.

Constructed dendograms based on the coefficient of similarity using the UPGMA (Unweighted Pair Group Method with Arithmetic Mean) method showed that all these 10 pineapple accessions could be successfully dif-ferentiated using 8 polymorphic SSR markers.

However, to increase the accuracy, reproducibility and robustness of pineapple DNA profiles, more markers and accessions need to be included.

Currently, CMDV is in collabora-tion with HRC on a project for DNA profiling of MARDIs pineapple germplasm in Pontian and the work is expected to be accomplished by end of this year. This project will lead to a proper management of MARDI cultivar germplasm and also to ensure the sus-tainability of its genetic resources.

Towards Non-Spiny and Low Acid Pineapples

DNA Profiling to Improve Pineapple Breeding Strategies

Top: New pipeline hybrid in bloom

Left: MD2 Goldenpine

Top: Spineless leaf-margin

Right: Josapine pineapple

ACHIEVEMENT5Nov2014

The Road to MAHA exhibition was conducted to showcase the latest technologies in food and agriculture for the benefits of all departments and agencies and entrepreneurs involved.

The exhibition was set up in every state throughout Malaysia to introduce and promote MAHA 2014. It was one of the approaches

taken by the Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-based Industry so that all communities can experience the atmosphere of MAHA in each state. This exhibition also provides op-portunities for domestic entrepreneurs to promote their products and innovations.

The programme, held during the weekend, usually lasts for 3 days in each state. Various

new and up-to-date technologies related to agriculture and agro-based industries were exhibited including crop production, mecha-nisation and food processing. In addition, there were also displays of new technologies such as Greenkit, vertical farming and various demonstrations of new machines and products.

Road to MAHA 2014

FOCUS6 Nov2014

Must Visit Pavilion, Farms and Gardens @ MAHA 2014

VISIT MARDI EVENTS DURING MAHA 2014

Date / Place Events

20 November 2014 (Thursday) 11.00 am

Hall A , MAEPSLaunching of MAEPS Agrotourism Park

23 November 2014 (Sunday) 11.00 am

Hall A , MAEPSLaunching of Micro-TEZTM Salmonella Kit Technology

26 November 2014 (Wednesday) 10:30 am

Terengganu State Pavilion

Book Launch : Buku Taman Tropika Kenyir : Khazanah Warisan Alam

26 November 2014 (Wednesday) 3:00 pm

Hall A , MAEPS

Exchange of Memorandum of Agreements / Understanding MARDI and Pahang Farmers Association (PASFA) MARDI and Nictron Agriculture Sdn Bhd MARDI and NAZA Group of Companies MARDI and Orchid Life Sdn. Bhd. MARDI and Biotech Corp Sdn.Bhd.

27 November 2014 (Thursday) 11:00 am

Hall A , MAEPS

MARDI Technology Book Launch Coffee Table Book : Menabur Bakti: Jejak Peristiwa

R&D Ternakan Pocket Book: Perosak Penyakit & Rumpai Padi di

Malaysia Technology Manual : Penanaman Buah Naga

(e-publication). Technology Book Tanaman Hiasan dalam Landskap :

Heliconia dan Halia

27 November 2014 (Thursday) 3:00 pm

Laman Jentera

Launching of MARDIs Mechanization Technologies Roti Jala Machine Young Coconut Shaper Machine

FOCUS7Nov2014

By: Latifah Mohd Nor, Horticulture Research Centre, MARDI, Ab Aziz Ibrahim, Mechanization and Automation Centre,MARDI

Fruit stalls selling cut fruits are very popular these days. They allow us to enjoy our daily intake of natural vitamins and nutrients without the hassle of peeling and preparing the fruits, but there is more to selling them than just cutting and peeling.

The popularity of minimally prepared fruits is growing even in advanced countries such as Japan, Korea, Australia and USA, where the minimally processed industry has experienced growth in the vacinity of 20-30% for the past two decades.

This trend projected to continue to grow rapidly along with greater demand from consumers for nutritious, convenient, fresh and flavourful food.

The benefit of consuming freshfruits is well documented. Fresh fruits are nutri-tionally important sources of antioxidants including vitamins A, C and E, carotenoids and flavonoids, as well as dietary fibres and minerals.

The challenge of keeping cut fruits fresh is considerable due to the perishable nature of the minimally processed products itself.

MARDI has developed technologies for minimally processed jackfruit, durian and pineapple with the aim of reaching more export markets, especially in developed economies.

Commercialisation requirements covering quality maintenance and safety aspects are emphasized due to the potential of minimally processed product as

future marketing concept of tropical fruits.The quality of minimally processed

products depends very much on the quality of the intact commodities and their maintenance until preparation, the method of preparation and subsequent handling conditions.

The handling operations should not be viewed as a way to utilize inferior quality, over-mature or defective commodities that cannot be marketed as whole produce. Depending on fruit types, basic operations for minimal processing include sorting, washing, peeling, cutting, trimming and pre-treatments. Temperature management, cleanliness and expeditious handling are primary consideration during the handling operations.

Pre-treatments to reduce microbial spoilage, excessive tissue softening and tissue browning are needed for quality improvement of minimally processed pineapples.

The cut pieces need to be immersed in pre-treatment solution at the final stage of the handling operations. For example, flesh firmness of the cut pineapples can be maintained by using calcium salts, while oxidative browning can be overcome by using ascorbic acid.

Minimally processed products must be carefully protected since their natural protection, the skin, has been removed. The use of rigid containers (polypropylene) with clips on lids is highly recommended for packing minimally processed jackfruit, pineapples and durian as they reduced physical injury during storage, transporta-tion or market display.

Temperature is the most important factor governing the storage life of fruits so they should be kept at the lowest

temperature that will not damage tissues. For tropical fruits, minimum storage temperatures are typically at 10-15C, below which, chilling injury symptoms usually develop with serious damage to the fruit tissues causing skin hardening, watery problems and intense disease infections.

However, it has been demonstrated on many occasions that minimally processed fruits can tolerate lower temperatures. Minimally processed durian can be stored at 2C for 3 weeks while intact durian developed injury symptoms at 10C or below.

Min imal ly processed products are generally safe but microbial growth may occur or accumulate during the handling and packing operations. Microbio-logical growth in cut fruit can be very rapid and can increase to unacceptable levels of organoleptic and physiological qualities especially if they encounter higher than recommended temperatures.

Because of these potential hazards, an effective sanitation program and strict adherence to good personal and process hygiene is necessary in ensuring the safety and quality of minimally processed products.

Good processing practice may not be enough for some markets because most tropical fruits are subjected to infestation by fruit flies and cannot be imported into some countries such as Japan, Australia, China and United States unless the quarantine

protocols had been verified.

M A R D I h a d

c o n d u c t e d r e s e a r c h

t o v e r i f y that minimally

processed pineapples, jackfruit and durian are free

from quarantine pest after the handling operations till it reaches the marketing chains. Malaysia had obtained market access for minimally processed pineapples (2010) and durian (2012) to Australia. Last year, market access also had been granted for minimally processed pineapples to enter New Zealand.

Despite recent successes, the issues of safety for minimally processed products must be emphasis seriously since even a minor mistake could lead to disaster and spell the end of an emerging industry.

Minimal Processing Keeps Fruits Looking Fresh Longer

Farmers have also been told to focus on the high-value fresh fruit market rather than producing fruit for processing which offers lower income and margins.

On the other hand, canneries are encouraged to develop their own farms to ensure steady supply of fruits because the relatively low price offered for pineapples meant for processing had discouraged many farmers from supplying their harvest to factories.

Fresh vs Processed

Statistics show that local consumption of fresh pineapples has grown from 50,600 tonnes in 2000 to 271,000 tonnes in 2008, while the highest recorded per capita consumption occurred in 2002 when every Malaysian consumed 13 kg of the fruit.

The average per capita consumption of fresh pineapples from 2000 2007

is 7 kg per person. Consumption of processed pineapples is very low in Malaysia and mainly focused at insti-tutional consumption through hotels, restaurant chains or airlines.

Challenges ahead

The pineapple industry faces many problems. One of the main issues is a steady reduction in acreage for production as smallholders abandon

their farms and this happens as the estate sector is showing greater interest in the fruit.

The higher prices commanded by other commodities such as palm oil have caused many farmers in peat soil areas to convert their land to oil palm farming.

This factor is compounded by the low level of efficiency among pineapple smallholders. Together, these factors point to an inevitable conclusion, that is, smallholding pineapple production is becoming less relevant and the way forward is large farms and estates.

Large-scale farming offer improved productivity and the ability to employ the latest technologies to ensure consistent quality and high production volume.

Estates also offer stability of acreage for the industry and this is an important factor in ensuring that it can continue to grow and attract new markets.

Soil fertility issue has also taken centre stage and research shows that extended period of single product cultivation without proper nutrient management has contributed to decrease in productivity.

Studies on soil fertility, level of technology usage and transfer of technology among smallholders and estates would help to identify the key factors leading to lower yields.

Scenario and Prospects of the Malaysian Pineapple Industry

From front page

COMMERCIALISATION8 Nov2014

By: Yusmizawati Mohd Yusob Technology Promotion and Development Centre, MARDI

Josapine pineapple cultivation in Sabah began taking roots between 2000 and 2005 when technology transfer for the crop took place in a big way through MARDI, the District Agriculture Office, the Rural Development Cooperative and the local Farmers Association.

In 2001, the first pineapple farm was opened on a four-acre peat soil plot in Kampung Meraba Laut, Beaufort with a seed grant meant for the production of fruits as well as replanting.

The pioneer farmers were trained on the cultivation process, including disease management, pest control, optimum application of fertiliser, weeding practice and even landscaping.

The objective was to turn Kampung Meraba Laut in Beaufort as the biggest Josapine pineapple producer in Sabah by gradually increasing the number of farmers and acreage.

Beaufort has the advantage of being on a main trunk road between the Sabah state capital of Kota Kinabalu, Brunei and Sarawak. It is also close to the Federal Territory of Labuan.

By April 2002, the project was producing fresh Josapine for consumption and the initial 25,000 seedlings from Peninsular Malaysia were distributed to 25 farmers in Kampung Bebagon in Penampang

District.The objective there was to make

Kampung Babagon as the hub for pineapple production including Josapine. However, the Josapine variety did not prosper as well as the Babagon variety.

Current Scenario

Pineapple cultivation is a growth sector in Sabah and the key areas

are Kota Belud, Beaufort and Penampang.

Penampang is the biggest pineapple cultivator with 200 acres, half of the 400 total acres in the state.

The Pineapple Industry Board does not have a presence in Sabah or Sarawak and all of the fruit produced in these two states are consumed fresh as there are no pineapple processing facilities in either state that could turn them into juice, cordial, jams, dried fruits, paste, sweet sauce, hot sauce or other pineapple products.

Most of the fruits are consumed by the state with a small percentage shipped to Peninsular Malaysia.

The pineapple industry in Sabah has a lot of potential as the soil, especially in Kampung Babagon, is perfectly suited to the fruit such that pineapples planted in this area are known as the the Babagon pineapples. Beaufort is no laggard either as the pineapples grown here won the gold medal in the recent National Farmers, Livestock Producers and Fishermans Day competition.

The highly fertile peat soil in Kampung Meraba Laut in Beaufort and mineral soil in Kampung Kegayungan in Tuaran gives the Sabah pineapple industry an added advantage, particularly for the cultivation of the Josapine variety. The Pineapple Industry Board should quickly enter Sabah and Sarawak and bring with it high impact investments that could make the dream of turning Sabah into a pineapple production hub into a reality.

Ms. Zurinah Garib, a successful pineapple business woman in Penampang

By: Zabedah Mahmood and Hartinee Abbas, Horticulture Research Centre, MARDI

Traditionally, Malaysian pineapples are grown on peat soils. However, recent rapid expansion has seen them being cultivated on mineral soils, which Malaysia lacked experience in compared to the other world major producers.

Realising this, MARDI developed a new fertilizer formulation for pineapples on mineral soils to enhance vegetative growth, improve yield and fruit quality.

Pineapples responded very well to nitrogen and potassium fertilisation which will inf luence the plant growth, yield and fruit quality especially in terms of fruit sweetness.

Having considered such specific plant requirements, M A R D I d e v e l o p e d GROWPINE formulation at three critical growth stages.

This formulation produces fruits with uniform qualities in terms of fruit size with

excellent taste and sweetness but at a lower rate of fertilizer application as the nutrients are provided according to the various stages of the plant requirements.

Fer ti l ising pineapple plants is a scheduled regular activity and it is normal practice for pineapple plants to be fertilised 3-4 times per cropping cycle to meet the requirements of the various varieties and plant growth stages.

This is rather challenging to ensure sufficient and even fertilizer distribution

amidst the densely populated pineapple plants of about 40,000 per hectare for normal density planting and up to 70,000 per hectare for high density planting.

With farm labour becoming rather scarce and expensive, GROWPINE was developed as control-release nuggets that need to be applied only once, during planting.

The fertilizer is buried about 3 cm from the planting points during land preparation and thanks to the special formulation and manufacturing process, the

various GROWPINE nugget formulations 1, 2 and 3 will disintegrate at specific time intervals.

This ensures consistent release of balanced and optimum nutrients to a period before f lowering, optimising performance and reducing fertilizer wastage or insufficient nutrient at critical stages of plant growth.

The reduction in fertilizer runoffs means a 30 -40% savings in fertilizer cost and has the added benefit of causing less groundwater con-tamination.

This technology received several gold awards - IENA Nuremberg, Germany 2012; International Innovative I nv e nt i o n T e c h n o l o g y Exhibition (ITEX- KL, 2012); and MARDI Science and Technology Expo (MSTE 2011).

GROWPINE is commer-cialised with PK Fertilizer Sdn. Bhd. and available in the market. It is suitable for all pineapple varieties and our studies have proven that pineapple plants fertilised with GROW PI N E are uniform in growth, more vigorous, producing fruits with uni form excel lent qualities at a lower cost of fertilizer application.

Pineapple is one of the most popular tropical fruits in the global market. Malaysia is also one of the worlds producer and exporter of both fresh and canned pineapples.

The planting of high quality clones such as Josapine, MD2, and N36 has enabled us to expand export beyond Singapore to countries of East and West Asia with an increasing demand which need to be supplied by our producers.

Growpine- An Excellent Fertilizer for Pineapple

COMMERCIALISATION9Nov2014

By: Dr. Chan Ying Kwok Malaysian Agrifood Corporation Berhad

The fact that Josapine variety pineapples is so widely available is testament to the efforts of industry pioneers turning this fruit into the commercial success that it is today.

First released by MARDI in 1996, this fruit was initially found in upmarket supermarkets and served in the business and first class cabins of Malaysia Airlines but now it can be found in just about every weekend farmers market or roadside fruit stall.

Josapine is now the dominant fresh pineapple variety in Malaysia and this article tracks its progress from adoption to commercial success.

The Josapine breed was a hybridisation of four main cultivars from three major groups of pineapples planted in Malaysia, Sarawak (Cayenne), Moris (Queen), Johor (Spanish) and Masmerah (Spanish).

They began in 1984 and these variants were crossed in all combinations to generate 50,000 F1 hybrid progenies and from this were whittled down to 300 and then further trimmed down to 13 possible choices in 1989.

It took two more years to narrow the selection down to six options which were then tested in Pontian, Bukit Tangga and Kluang from 1991 to 1994 to establish their performance and stability.

These tests showed that hybrids A25-34 had good yield, strong aroma

and stable sugar content. It also offered the added benefit of pleasing looks, improved storage life and tolerance to black heart disorder. These are also qualities that make it a good candidate for export.

The name Josapine came from the Johor and Sarawak parents that contributed their attributes to the hybrid. It was

released into the market by MARDI on August 5, 1996.

The first step towards commer-cialisation began with a single grower in Simpang Renggan who showed confidence in the new hybrid by converting his 180 hectares pineapple farm from Morris to Josapine soon after its release in 1996.

MARDI gave the planting materials and provided full technical support to Go Swee Eng growing this new hybrid and soon it was clear that Josapine commanded premium prices. The success attracted other growers in the area to switch to Josapine.

The Malaysian Pineapple Industry Board (MPIB) and the Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority (FAMA) actively promoted and

advertised Josapine in the domestic and international markets through pamphlets, fruit fairs and highway billboards.

To ensure good quality, the Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-based Industry monitored farming practices under Skim

Amalan Ladang Baik Malaysia (SALM) or Good Farm Practices Scheme.

Accredited farmers were given the label Malaysias Best.

This label is an assurance of quality for the market and was particularly u sef u l i n s t r i n g e n t markets.

Va r i o u s t r a i n i n g c o u r s e s c o n d u c t e d by MARDI also helped

farmers and entrepreneurs to adopt the best techniques and practices to ensure that Josapine maintained a good standing in the marketplace.

To ensure sufficient supply of planting materials, the Department of Agriculture and MARDI have been producing quality suckers using the quartering method and Josapine plantlets are sold to the industry at a very affordable 25 cents each.

Josapine came at the right time and gave the fresh pineapple market a much needed boost and it continues to grow in popularity, cultivated in 1,500 hectares and replacing Morris in many farms.

The Josapine is a fine example of MARDIs success in research and development and commerciali-sation.

Josapine Retrospective Road to Success

By: Rohani Md Yon MARDI Strategic Planning and Innovation Management Division

Pine Food Enterprise which was managed by Zarhani Daud and her husband, Sadikon Sadiman, commenced operations in 2006, after years of toiling on 12 hectares of pineapple farm.

At the farm, they grow Gandul and Josapine pineapples mainly for the fresh market. However, only grade A pineapples are suitable for the market.

There are many small and off-grade pineapples which cannot be sold and wasted. Looking at this situation, Zarhani decided to process the off-grade pineapples into various products.

Furthermore, there is demand for processed pineapple products from visitors or consumers who

frequented her farm to buy fresh pineapples.

With a capital of RM 20,000 they bought some small equipment to process multiple products such as pineapple juice, cordial, sauce and jam. But the products were inferior in quality, not very attractive and can be easily damaged.

Thus, they contacted MARDI for

advice, guidance and training to improve the quality of the prod-ucts. With the advice and training given by MARDI, they successfully produced high quality products which are suitable to be marketed not only around Pontian but also for the export market in Singapore.

To meet the growing demand, Zarhani sought help from the Ma-

laysian Pineapple Industry Board (LPNM) to obtain grants to buy processing and packaging machines for various products, in order to increase production and created more attractive packaging.

Currently, they are able to produce high quality commercial pineapple products using the brand name - Josa - with sales reaching

RM156,000 per month.FAMA also helped to promote

the products through the Agro Shoppe Scheme where a show-room was built on the farm to show-case their products and conduct business activities.

Zarhani and Sadikon greatly ap-preciated the assistance provided by agencies such as MARDI, FAMA and LPNM because without the help of these agencies they would not be able to succeed in their business venture.

Entrepreneur Information:

Pine Food Enterprise Batu 32, Kampung Selangor,

Pekan Nanas 82000 Pontian, Johor

Entrepreneur: Zarhani Daud and Sadikon Sadiman HP: 012-7501754

Josa - Pineapple Products From Pine Food

SUCCESS STORY10 Nov2014

Is Josapine A World Beater?How Competitive is Malaysias Pineapple in the Global Market?

By: Chubashini Suntharalingam Economic and Technology Management Research Centre, MARDI

It is easy to believe that we have the best pineapple in the world in the Josapine variety but hard data is needed to measure our real position in the market and the Revealed Competitive Advantage (RCA) method reveals that we are good but not the best.

The RCA analysis clearly demonstrated that Malaysia has comparative advantage over other key pineapple producers like Thailand, Indonesia, China and India but we are unable to even come close to the Philippines.

The RCA index from 2000-2008 showed that we maintain a very slim lead over the Thais and they are slowly catching up with us while Indonesia is being slowly left behind. China has maintained their gap with Malaysia while India is slowly gaining ground.

Unfortunately, the Philippines have

maintained a strong comparative advantage against Malaysia during the nine-year study period.

Pineapples from the Philippines continue to dominate the global market and have become a popular fruit in many households. Somehow Philippine pineapples captured and held on the worlds taste buds.

Policies must be firmed up, efforts intensified and appropriate actions taken if we want to revitalise the Malaysian pineapple industry. These steps must be taken in order for us to relive our glory days of the 1960s and 1970s when we thrived as one of the worlds top three pineapple producers.

We must be ready to take leave of absence from our comfort zone and face challenges head on if we want to recapture the glory.

A revitalised pineapple industry could potentially increase the income of stakeholders in this industry from producers, processors and exporters.

The trickle-down effect of a bounced-back pineapple industry would translate into higher economic growth for Malaysia.

RCA Index of the pineapple industry2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

MAS vs THAI 1.0 0.9 0.5 -0.1 0.2 0.3 0.2 -0.2 0.4

MAS vs INDO 0.9 1.1 0.0 -0.1 1.4 2.6 3.9 2.5 3.9

MAS vs PHIL -3.3 -3.4 -3.6 -4.0 -4.2 -4.0 -4.0 -4.3 -4.3

MAS vs CHINA 2.7 2.8 2.5 1.3 1.3 1.9 1.8 1.8 2.1

MAS vs INDIA 2.6 2.2 2.1 1.7 1.3 1.3 1.2 1.5 1.6

SUCCESS STORY11Nov2014

ABOUT MAHA 2014

MAHA 2014, is a leading Agro Fair in the region focusing on innovation and the progressive development of the Malaysian Agro-Food and Agro-Based Industries. The 11-day event is held concurrently with The Farmers, Livestock Producers and Fishermens Day (HPPNK) - a rec-ognition programme by the government for the agriculture communities throughout the country.

Set as a biennial event, MAHA 2014 is strategically po-sitioned to promote Malaysia as the centre of excellence in the agriculture and agro-based industries, incorporating agro-based knowledge, technology and innovation, agro-trade, agrotourism and agrolifestyle. Special emphasis will be given on the development of young and future agriculture entrepreneurs.

Following the success of the previous events, MAHA 2014 is set to track up another notch in its standing as a power house in creating a vibrant mix of business opportunities to help spur industries and to adopt new technologies and innovative agriculture. This years event promises a cutting edge agriculture technology and activities that interest trade visitors as well as the general public.

Aptly themed Agrotechnology Catalyst For Transfor-mation MAHA 2014 continues to take the lead in the region by gathering industry players and professionals from various sectors, to explore and seize the opportunities from the new emerging agrobusiness and innovative agriculture. It is also a platform to pitch for the regions best agrofood and agro-based companies.

Main focus areas / State pavilions Business seminars and workshops Product presentations & launches Agriculture technology and innovation competitions Agro bazaar Competitions and award presentations Field demonstrations Agro-tourism activities Agro-product promotion Cultural performance Malaysian popular dishes and traditional cuisines Other highlights: Well-being, fishing, pet shows, wellness pro-

grammes, agro-challenge and many more

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS

EXHIBITORS PROFILE

Products

Agriculture fresh produce Agro-Bio products and technology Beverages Bakery and confectionery Canned / Processed food Cereals and grains Convenience food Food Ingredients Fresh and processed seafood Fruits and vegetables Halal products Herbs and spices Nutritional food supplements Organic products Palm-based products Root-based products Floriculture and landscape products Horticulture Livestock & animal feeds Meat, poultry and dairy products Specialty products seaweed farming,

swiftlet nests Machineries and automation

Services

Consulting / Financial services Franchise development Intellectual properties, e.g. trademarks, patents Marketing communication services, e.g. adver-

tising Logistics, trading and distribution Quality assurance services Agrotourism Trade promotion Youth development programmes in agriculture Research and development Training services

Technology Demonstration and Displays

New innovation and technology in agriculture and agro-based production

Agrowaste management Agroenvironment management / remediation Crop, livestock and fishery management Mechanism and automation Molecular and biotechnology Nanotechnology Postharvest technology

EVENTS12 Nov2014