Didn’t mean to make you cry: A woman buying red onions at a shop in Pasar Pudu. — AZHAR MAHFOF/The Star
PETALING JAYA: Malaysia is striving for self-sufficiency in onion production with the goal to reduce its reliance on imports and bolster domestic red onion cultivation, says Datuk Dr Mohamad Zabawi Abdul Ghani.
The Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (Mardi) director-general said large-scale planting was expected as soon as next year.
He said they aimed to bolster the supply of red onions in the Malaysian market, and Mardi had introduced three new shallot varieties, namely BAW-1, BAW-2 and BAW-3, during the Mardi Tech Show 2023.
He said these achievements resulted from comprehensive research efforts, including collecting genetic material from local markets, seed companies, international research agencies and previous seed collections from earlier studies.
Mohamad Zabawi said the BAW-1 type, which is 25-35mm in size and vivid red, was suitable for mineral and bris soils.
“In contrast, BAW-2 is pink and has a medium size of 28-32mm, well-suited for mineral and peat soils.
“BAW-3 exhibits a pink hue, with smaller sizes ranging from 18-25mm and is adaptable to bris, mineral and peat soils,” he said.
He added that these red onions could be harvested 60 to 75 days after planting, ensuring high-quality, well-sized and disease-free produce.
The red onions undergo a curing process through direct sunlight exposure or in drying houses at temperatures around 30°-32°C, and relative humidity of 65%-70% for three to seven days.
“Mardi is actively developing onion seeds. Interested farmers can contact our institution to obtain these seeds. We estimate that we can commence extensive cultivation of red onions locally by next year.
“One hectare can yield about 300 red onion plants. Based on our initial estimates, if mass-produced, the price of red onions may range between RM5 and RM6 per kg compared with Indian shallots priced at RM7 to RM8, making them more affordable,” he said when contacted.
He noted that the cost of cultivating red onions locally was not expected to be prohibitively high, which is their goal.
The statistics from Malaysia’s Agricultural Commodity Supply and Use Account (2018-2022) reveal that Malaysia mainly imported fresh onions, including large, small and white varieties, with India being the primary source (62%), followed by the Netherlands (15%), China (9%), Pakistan (8%), Thailand (2%), Egypt (2%), and other countries (2%).
In 2022, Malaysia’s total onion imports, including various types, reached 685.4 tonnes, valued at RM1,578.4mil – a 9% increase from the previous year’s 622.2 tonnes, worth RM1,477.6mil.
Large onions comprised the majority of imports, accounting for 71% (485.1 tonnes), followed by garlic at 22.1% (161.7 tonnes) and small onions at 6.3% (38.6 tonnes).
Per capita consumption data highlights the prevalence of large onions, with an average annual consumption of 14.8kg, followed by small onions at 1.2kg and garlic at 4.9kg.
Despite being less consumed overall, small shallots command a higher import price of RM1,880 per tonne than large onions at RM1,759 per tonne.
However, Federation of Vegetable Farmers Associations president Lim Ser Kwee raised concerns about whether cultivating red onions in Malaysia would require extensive land and a significant workforce, potentially increasing the local production cost compared with imports.
Cameron Highlands Vegetable Growers Association deputy president Lau Weng Soow said red onion cultivation required a hot climate, which is not prevalent in Malaysia.
“We, as farmers, hope that Mardi can achieve successful propagation and profitability, as we are more than willing to invest in cultivation,” he added.
