Commercialization of Sago through Estate Plantation Scheme in Sarawak: The Way Forward

Abstract

Sago has been hailed as a next viable commodity in Sarawak, Malaysia, given its potential as a versatile crop. Realising its potential, Sarawak state government has started initiatives to stimulate sago plantation from subsistence farming to estate plantation. The move of introducing sago estate plantation is a bold one considering that Malaysia is the first country introducing such plantation design. This is a reflection on sago estate plantation in the state of Sarawak. It is observed that, in order to ensure success of the plantation scheme, factors such as rigorous land consolidation programme aiming to maximize sago production; introduction of a modern planting method that integrates well with the traditional planting method; rigorous scientific research in finding the best sago variety that produces high yield; effective communication between related agencies and smallholders; and concentrated involvement of all actors, governmental agencies, mills, and smallholders, have to be addressed accordingly. To conclude, it is hoped that this writing can be utilized as part of a contribution to accelerating commercialization of sago as a next viable commodity crop not only in Sarawak but in Southeast Asia as a whole.

Penggunaan Tepung Sagu (Metroxylon sp.) asal Riau Sebagai Bahan Baku Kukis Cokelat

“…Berdasarkan penelitian di Sulawesi Selatan, penjualan tepung sagu mengalami peningkatan signifikan pada Tahun 2006 -2013, yaitu sekitar 25% (Metaragakusuma et al 2017). Penggunaan sagu sebagai alternatif bahan pangan juga telah dilakukan di beberapa negara lain seperti Malaysia, melalui penanaman lahan sagu untuk komersialisasi (Chew et al 1998;Naim HM et al 2016).…”

Enzim Laccase dari Edible Mushroom untuk Pemutihan Pati Sagu Ramah Lingkungan

“…Sedangkan kualitas pati sagu ditentukan oleh warna, viskositas, dan ukuran partikel (5) . Warna coklat di pati sagu dikarenakan adanya kandungan senyawa polyphenol (6) . Warna Sagu yang baik dan mempunyai nilai ekonomi yang tinggi adalah warna putih cerah dan tidak terdapat butiran warna hitam.…”

Impact of Sago Crop Commercialization Programs on Gender Roles of Melanau Communities in Sarawak, Malaysia

“…On the other hand, this research found that the respond from smallholder farmers are rather slow. In order to speed up the process, it is suggested that communication between related agencies and smallholders need to improve in order to avoid miscommunication in message dissemination (Naim, Yaakub & Awang Hamdan, 2016). The sago logs produced by the Melanau communities are for their consumption, domestic markets and export.…”