Kundasang: The Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (Mardi) Shallot Seed Production Project here has the potential to become one of the country’s strategic shallot production hubs by 2030.
The commitment was expressed through a working visit by Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Datuk Chan Foong Hin, to review the progress of the project in Kampung Mesilou.
It is part of the Government’s efforts to strengthen the local shallot industry through the production of high-quality seeds, increased production productivity and reduce the country’s dependence on onion imports.
Chan was given a briefing on the progress of the project, including the use of Mardi shallot varieties, namely BAW-1, BAW-2 and BAW-3, which were developed specifically to support local onion production in a more sustainable and competitive manner.
There was also a visit to the onion growing area and the Red Onion Seed Drying and Storage House developed by Mardi as a support infrastructure to ensure that seed production can be carried out consistently and meets the set quality standards.
The RM523,000 facility functions as a seed handling, drying and storage centre before being distributed to Peninsular Malaysia as well as Sabah and Sarawak.
This initiative is in line with the Government’s target to reduce onion imports by 30 per cent by 2030 while also ensuring that the country’s onion industry continues to remain relevant, sustainable and competitive.
This red onion seed production project was implemented with Mardi-guided entrepreneur Shahrizal Denci who began participating under the Mardi programme in 2024.
Over the previous two planting seasons, he successfully produced 20 metric tonnes of red onions involving five acres.
The planting area is currently being expanded in stages to reach 40 acres by 2030 with a total production target of up to 200 metric tonnes.
Also present during the visit was Mardi Director General Dato’ Dr Haji Mohamad Zabawi Abdul Ghani.
