M

14 N
20EDITIO

MAHA 2014 Targets

3.5 Million Visitors

HA
A

MAHA 2014: Future

Technologies and
Trends of Malaysian
Agriculture



Pg2

Pg2
Nov 2014
Vol: 003
ISSN 2289-6511

Biodegradable Packaging From

Pineapple Fibres

Mechanization Set to Quadruple

Pineapple Production
Pg3

DNA Profiling to Improve

Pineapple Breeding Strategies

772289

651006

Josapine Retrospective
Road to Success

Pg4

Pg5

Pg10

Welcome to MAHA 2014

ew 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 Agrotechnology 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 professionals 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

Scenario and Prospects of the Malaysian Pineapple Industry

Josapine pineapples
to meet rising
global demand

By: Raziah Mat Lin and Nik Rahimah

Nik Omar, Economic and Technology
Management Research Centre,
MARDI

lthough 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.

St rong dema nd for ou r

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
s m a l l holder s
farms
i nt o
large-scale farms which can then
be better managed and monitored
to ensure productivity and quality.

More on page 5

Nov 2014

VIEW POINT

MAHA 2014: Future Technologies and

Trends of Malaysian Agriculture
Minister of Agriculture, Dato Sri Ismail Sabri says:

he 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 participation 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 sustainability 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.

EDITORIAL

MAHA 2014 Targets 3.5 Million Visitors

Advisor
Dato Dr. Sharif Haron
(Director General MARDI)

MARDI Editorial Team

Dr. Mohamad Roff Mohd Noor
Dr. Ainu Husna MS Suhaimi
Rohani Md Yon
Maheswary Vellupillai
Norhafizah Mohd Yusof

Copywriter
Shamsul Bahari Mohd Yunos

Designer
Sham Hosni

Art Director
Spice Communications Sdn Bhd
For enquiries, please contact

Scientia MARDI
MARDI Headquarters,
Persiaran MARDI-UPM,
43400 Serdang Selangor,
Tel : 603-8943 7317
Fax : 603-8984 3664
Email : scientia.mardi@gmail.com

shusna@mardi.gov.my

For navigation and contact,

scan with your smartphone

he 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 Agrotechnology - 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 transformation 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.

M A H A 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,
Ag ro -trade, Ag rofood 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

Nov 2014

TECHNOLOGY

Biodegradable Packaging From

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

igh cellulose content makes

pineapple fibres a good biodegradable 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.
T he sea rch for biodeg radable packaging materials is important
because consumers in the economydriven 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.

The Many Facets of the Pineapple

Nutritional content of 100g of
pineapples

By: Hasimah Hafiz Ahmad,

Food Technology Research Centre,
MARDI

Energy

ineapple 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 establishment 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

202kJ
(48kcal)
Carbohydrate
12.63 g
Sugar
9.26 g
Fibre
1.4 g
0.12 g
Fat
0.54 g
Protein
Thiamine (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.
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 anti-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.

Nov 2014

TECHNOLOGY

Mechanisation

Set to Quadruple
Pineapple Production

Long boom spraying machine

Harvesting aid

Interrow cultivating machine cum

fertilizer applicator

By: Rohazrin Abd Rani and Ayob Hamid

Mechanization and Automation Research
Centre, MARDI

ARDI 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 mechanisation 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

Pineapple transplanting machine

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.
T he
me ch a n ic a l
pi ne apple
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

Plant mulcher cum shredder

Slashing machine

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 environmentally 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.

Nov 2014

ACHIEVEMENT

Towards
Non-Spiny
and Low Acid
Pineapples
By: Dr Rozlaily Zainol & Noorman Affendi
Mardzuki, Horticulture Research Centre,
MARDI

very time pineapple comes into

mind, we always imagine a spiny
prickly plant that is uncomfortable 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 environmental 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

Top: Spineless leaf-margin

Right: Josapine pineapple

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 t he new M a l aysi a n
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.

DNA Profiling to
Improve Pineapple
Breeding
Strategies

Top: New pipeline hybrid in bloom

Left: MD2 Goldenpine

By: Siti Norhayati Ismail and Dr. Norzihan

Abdullah, Centre for Marker Discovery
and Validation (CMDV), MARDI
Dr Rozlaily Zainol, Horticulture Research
Centre, MARDI

ineapple cultivation has become

one of the most important
ag ricu lt u ra l ac tivities i n
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 M A R DI
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 technolog y,
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 differentiated 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 collaboration 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 sustainability of its genetic resources.

Nov 2014

FOCUS

Road to MAHA 2014

he 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 opportunities 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, mechanisation 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.

Nov 2014

FOCUS

Must Visit Pavilion, Farms and

Gardens @ MAHA 2014

VISIT MARDI EVENTS DURING MAHA 2014

Date / Place
20 November 2014
(Thursday) 11.00 am
Hall A , MAEPS

Events
Launching of MAEPS Agrotourism Park

23 November 2014
(Sunday) 11.00 am
Hall A , MAEPS

Launching 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

Nov 2014

COMMERCIALISATION

From front page

Scenario and Prospects of the

Malaysian Pineapple Industry

armers 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 loca l
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 institutional 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.

Minimal Processing Keeps Fruits

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

ruit 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 nutritionally 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, transportation 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
temperature s 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.
M i n i m a l l y p ro ce s s e d
products are generally safe but
microbial growth may occur or
accumulate during the handling
and packing operations. Microbiological 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.
MARDI
h
a
d
conducted
r e s e a r c h
to
verify
th at minim a lly
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.

Nov 2014

COMMERCIALISATION

By: Yusmizawati Mohd Yusob

Technology Promotion and
Development Centre, MARDI

osapine 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

Ms. Zurinah Garib, a successful

pineapple business woman in
Penampang

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.

Growpine- An Excellent Fertilizer for

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

raditionally, 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, M A R DI
developed a new fertilizer
formulation for pineapples
on mineral soils to enhance
vegetative growth, improve
yield and fruit quality.
P i ne apple s r e sp onde d
very well to nitrogen and
potassium fertilisation which
wi l l in f luence the plant
growth, yield and fruit quality
especially in terms of fruit
sweetness.
Having considered such
specific plant requirements,
MARDI
developed
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.
F e r t i l i si n g pi ne apple
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 su f f icient 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
ab out 3 c m f r om t he
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 ba lanced and
opti mu m nut rients to a
period before f loweri ng,
optimising performance and
reducing fertilizer wastage or
insufficient nutrient at critical
stages of plant growth.
The reduction in fertilizer
r unof fs means a 3 0 - 4 0%
savings in fertilizer cost
and has the added benefit of
causing less groundwater contamination.

This technology received

several gold awards - IENA
Nuremberg, Germany 2012;
I nter n ation a l I n novative
I nvention
Technolog y
Exhibition (ITEX- KL, 2012);
and M A R DI Science and
Technology Expo (MSTE 2011).
GROWPINE is commercialised 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
w it h GROW P I N E a r e
uniform in growth, more
vigorous, producing fruits
w it h u n i for m exc el 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.
T he pla nti ng of high
qu a l it y clone s such a s
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.

10

Nov 2014

SUCCESS STORY

Josapine Retrospective
Road to Success
By: Dr. Chan Ying Kwok
Malaysian Agrifood Corporation
Berhad

he 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 commercialisation 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.
Ac c r e d it e d
farmers were
given the label
Malaysias Best.
This label is
an assurance of
quality for the
market and was
pa r ticu l a rly
useful
in
stringent
markets.
Va r i o u s
training
c o u r s e s
conducted
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 commercialisation.

Josa - Pineapple Products From Pine Food

RM156,000 per month.
FAMA also helped to promote
the products through the Agro
Shoppe Scheme where a showroom was built on the farm to showcase their products and conduct
business activities.
Zarhani and Sadikon greatly appreciated 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.

By: Rohani Md Yon

MARDI Strategic Planning and
Innovation Management Division

ine 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 offgrade 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 products. 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

Entrepreneur Information:
Pine Food Enterprise
Batu 32, Kampung Selangor,
Pekan Nanas
82000 Pontian, Johor
Entrepreneur: Zarhani Daud and
Sadikon Sadiman
HP: 012-7501754

Nov 2014

11

SUCCESS STORY

Is Josapine A World Beater?

How Competitive is Malaysias Pineapple in the Global Market?

By: Chubashini Suntharalingam

Economic and Technology Management Research
Centre, MARDI

t 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.
Un for t u n ately, t he Ph i l ippi ne s h ave

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 industry

MAS vs THAI
MAS vs INDO
MAS vs PHIL
MAS vs CHINA
MAS vs INDIA

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

1.0
0.9
-3.3
2.7
2.6

0.9
1.1
-3.4
2.8
2.2

0.5
0.0
-3.6
2.5
2.1

-0.1
-0.1
-4.0
1.3
1.7

0.2
1.4
-4.2
1.3
1.3

0.3
2.6
-4.0
1.9
1.3

0.2
3.9
-4.0
1.8
1.2

-0.2
2.5
-4.3
1.8
1.5

0.4
3.9
-4.3
2.1
1.6

12

Nov 2014

EVENTS

ABOUT MAHA 2014

AHA 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 recognition programme by the government for the agriculture
communities throughout the country.
Set as a biennial event, MAHA 2014 is strategically positioned to promote Malaysia as the centre of excellence
in the agriculture and agro-based industries, incorporating
agro-based knowledge, technology and innovation, agrotrade, 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 Transformation 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.

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS

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 programmes, agro-challenge and many more

EXHIBITORS PROFILE
Products

Services

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

Consulting / Financial services

Franchise development
Intellectual properties, e.g. trademarks, patents
Marketing communication services, e.g. advertising
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