Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu announced plans to implement an onion cultivation programme from this year until 2030. The program is anticipated to reduce the country’s reliance on onion imports by a significant 30%.
Divided into two phases, the programme will commence with a pre-commercial phase spanning from this year to the following year, followed by a commercial phase from 2026 to 2030. During the pre-commercial phase, the focus will be on evaluating the feasibility of small red onion cultivation in Malaysia.
The Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (Mardi) will play a pivotal role in supplying 70 tonnes of small onion seeds and 230 kilograms of small red onion seeds to kickstart the initiative. Mohamad Sabu highlighted that during this phase, an onion cultivation area covering 100 hectares will be established, with an expected production yield of five tonnes per hectare. This translates to an anticipated production output of 1,000 tonnes during the pre-commercial phase.
Addressing queries during the question-and-answer session at the Dewan Rakyat, Mohamad Sabu emphasized the potential for twice-yearly onion cultivation, underscoring the importance of maximizing production efficiency. Moving forward, the commercial phase will see the development of a 1,347-hectare area dedicated to onion cultivation, with an estimated yield of 14,470 tonnes.
Notably, the programme will focus solely on the cultivation of small red onions, as Mardi continues to explore suitable varieties of onions and garlic for local planting. With a strategic plan in place, the ministry aims to significantly bolster domestic onion production, paving the way for reduced dependency on imports and enhanced food security for the nation.
