ULU TIRAM: Johor exported pineapples worth RM1 billion this year alone, exceeding last year's figure of RM600 million.
State agriculture, agro-based industry and rural development committee chairman Datuk Zahari Sarip said pineapple production had reached 217 metric tonnes since early in the year.
Zahari said that they expect production to increase by up to 450 metric tonnes over the next five years.
This, he said, will further expand and broaden the export potential of pineapples especially to European countries.
He said that for a start, 18 tonnes, or 12,000 pineapples, will be exported to Germany for the European market.
"Germany has requested if it was possible to supply about a thousand containers a week, but even if we were to collect the country's entire pineapple output, it still wouldn't be enough to cope with the huge German demand for pineapple.
"This shows that Germany is willing to buy as much pineapple from us for the European market.
"For this reason, we hope it (pineapple production and exportation) will be successful because it will open up a wider market in Europe, and it will also lead to new business opportunities for farmers, enabling them to specialise in the MD2 pineapple market in Europe," said Zahari.
He added that pineapples have previously been exported to China, Japan, Qatar, Turkey, and South Korea.
He said this during a press conference after officially sending off the first MD2 pineapple export to Germany at the Kulim Pineapple Farm in Ulu Tiram today.
The programme was organised by the Pineapple Industries Board, which saw Kulim (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd becoming the biggest pineapple distributor to Germany before it is redistributed to a few other European countries.