In Malaysia, a new initiative under the onion cultivation development programme is set to produce 1,000 tons of shallots in its pre-commercial phase, as announced by Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu in the Dewan Rakyat. This effort aims at diminishing the country's reliance on imported red onions through a two-phased approach, starting with the exploration of shallot cultivation potential.
The pre-commercial phase, spanning from 2024 to 2025, will see the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (Mardi) supplying 70 tons of shallot seeds and 230 kg of seed grains. Additionally, 100 ha of land is designated for onion cultivation, anticipated to yield five tons per hectare annually across two planting cycles, culminating in a production of 1,000 tons of shallots.
The subsequent commercial phase, extending from 2026 to 2030, aims to develop 1,347 ha for onion cultivation, with an expected yield of 14,470 tons, thereby fulfilling 30% of local demand by 2030. Current shallot cultivation has commenced in Perlis, Selangor, and Perak, with the first harvest expected in April of this year. Malaysia's initiative to cultivate shallots domestically addresses the significant dependence on onion imports from countries such as India, the Netherlands, China, Pakistan, and Thailand, which amounted to 687,000 tons. The domestic consumption of small shallots stood at 1.2 kg per person per year in 2022.
Source: nst.com.my