PERAK HAS EMERGED AS MALAYSIA'S NO 1 SWEET CORN PRODUCER

By Razif Rosli

PARIT, March 31 (Bernama) -- Perak has emerged as Malaysia’s number one producer of sweet corn for two years, with a production of 17,716 metric tons in 2023, Perak agriculture department director Norsiyenti Othman said.

Kinta district was the biggest producer with 7,056.87 metric tons harvested from 700.18 hectares (ha) followed by Kampar with 7535.84 metric tons (584.17 ha) and Kuala Kangsar with 1416.61 metric tons (153.96 ha), she added. 

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"Perak has been a major sweet corn producer since 2012, and in 2023 and 2024, we managed to be the first ranked state, followed by Johor and Sarawak, with the majority of our produce being sent to Cameron Highlands, Terengganu, Kelantan and the Klang Valley," she told Bernama recently.

She also revealed that Perak was currently focused on the 111.6 ha Titi Gantong Food Production Permanent Park (TKPM) programme here since 2004 that produces 1,001.63 metric tons worth RM1.8 million, adding that there were 13 participants involved in the programme, who also cultivate other crops such as vegetables and honeydew melons, generating an average monthly income of RM5,132.

She said that the sweet corn industry had developed extensively and encouraged the development of downstream products through research and development (R&D).

“It’s time that Perak not only focus on commodity crops and needs to create sweet corn-based downstream activities, such as crisps, flakes, cordials, cakes and kuih, as well as dry goods.

“When there’s R&D, we will know what can be produced and it will create more business and job opportunities and boost the incomes of local communities, not only sweet corn producers,” Norsiyenti said.

Meanwhile Titi Gantong TKPM manager Muhammad Hazim Zainal said the programme allocated 80 ha specially for sweet corn as the main component, in addition to lemongrass, honeydew melon and other vegetables. 

"Every participant needs to apply to the Perak agriculture department and they will be given land of different sizes to cultivate at a monthly rental rate of RM150 per ha.

“Currently, the production of sweet corn is done by schedule to fulfil market demands and it is harvested about two to three ha per week,” he said, adding that the sweet corn planted at the programme was a hybrid to obtain the best quality.

The Perak agriculture department, he said, had technical expertise in crops, plant biosecurity, pesticides and pests and officers would conduct quarterly visits each year to ensure the best products are produced to meet market demands.

Programme participant, Mohd Naufall Mustafa, 44, who has been planting sweet corn since 2007 on six ha, uses various high quality seeds, including GWG G907, GE 1603 and 1606, to avoid any disease and to obtain quality yields.

"More than 15,000 corn plants can be planted on one hectare, using 10 bags of 5-kilogramme seedlings on 100 beds and sweet corn is planted for three seasons a year, with each season being between 70 to 75 days.

"Normally, we would gain about 21,000 stalks of corn each harvest and we sell it wholesale about 140 stalks per sack at RM75, that’s the price of mixed sweet corn of three grades according to size,” he said, explaning that 45 days after the seeds are sown, flowers would develop with pollination being around 8 am to 10 am depending on the weather.

"Corn requires hot weather but it’s not good if it’s too hot as it will imact the quality. Grade A weighs 350 grams and above, Grade B between 300 to 350 grams while Grade C is under 300 grams,” he added.

-- BERNAMA