Kuala lumpur: The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (KPKM) is optimistic about Kelantan's potential to emerge as a major producer of local onions by next year. Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu, the minister of KPKM, highlighted the state's suitable soil conditions for onion cultivation and the promising results from initial trials.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, KPKM has sanctioned a budget of RM6 million for the Onion Cultivation Development Project across three states: Selangor, Perak, and Kelantan. This initiative involves 80 participants cultivating onions over an area of 94.85 hectares. Specifically, it includes 11 farmers working on 40 hectares in Selangor, 52 farmers covering 26.85 hectares in Kelantan, and 17 farmers managing 28 hectares in Perak.
Recently, Kelantan completed its inaugural onion harvest, expecting a yield of 18.4 tonnes from a 4.6-hectare plot at the Telong Food Production Park (TKPM) in Bachok, utilizing the BAW-1 and BAW-2 onion varieties. Mohamad Sabu stated that the harvest showed a positive outcome, recording a high production of approximately four tonnes per hectare. He expressed hope for Kelantan to become the primary producer of onions next year due to its fertile land.
Regarding production costs, Mohamad Sabu noted that a comprehensive study has yet to be conducted to determine the actual cost differences between local and imported onions. He mentioned that some farmers use the greenhouse method, which incurs higher expenses, and the government has not finalized the production cost for one tonne of local onions. Despite this, he observed that the price gap with imported onions is not significant.
He also remarked that, although precise figures are unavailable, the government anticipates that local onion production could reduce dependency on imports by up to 30 percent. This year, the focus is on seed production, with distribution planned for next year. Mohamad Sabu expressed confidence that this initiative could potentially save one-third of onion imports, aligning with the government's objectives.