The status of cassava Manihot esculenta cultivation in Peninsular Malaysia

Tan S.L., . The status of cassava Manihot esculenta cultivation in Peninsular Malaysia. pp. 1-11. ISSN 0127-7979

The current status of cassava most important of the root crops cultivated in Peninsular Malaysia was described in terms of the trends in its area of cultivation and present distribution by state. Despite a few attempts to grow it on a plantation scale cassava remained essentially a smallholder crop mainly mono-cropped. The crop had traditionally been important for starch extraction with a minor role as a component of animal feed rations. Export and import figures of cassava products were given over the period 1976-1982. Future prospects for cassava utilization included expansion of its traditional uses particularly as a partial substitute of grain maize in animal feeding as well as gasohol fuel production and high fructoseglucose syrup to satisfy part of our high sugar requirements. The potential for expansion in cultivated area lay in peat tracts since there would be increasing competition for mineral soils from other lucrative crops. The problems and constraints to increase production of cassava included technical managerial socio-economic problems and those that arise from inadequate support services and marketing and from scarcity of land and infrastructure. The future outlook for cassava was somewhat grim due to the current declining trend in production. This outlook might however be transformed by drastic changes in the industry viz. expanding the scale of production improving market outlets for starch and animal feed and promoting cultivation on peat. Government mediation was required in all cases while private sector investment would be helpful

Full text available from:

Abstract

The current status of cassava most important of the root crops cultivated in Peninsular Malaysia was described in terms of the trends in its area of cultivation and present distribution by state. Despite a few attempts to grow it on a plantation scale cassava remained essentially a smallholder crop mainly mono-cropped. The crop had traditionally been important for starch extraction with a minor role as a component of animal feed rations. Export and import figures of cassava products were given over the period 1976-1982. Future prospects for cassava utilization included expansion of its traditional uses particularly as a partial substitute of grain maize in animal feeding as well as gasohol fuel production and high fructoseglucose syrup to satisfy part of our high sugar requirements. The potential for expansion in cultivated area lay in peat tracts since there would be increasing competition for mineral soils from other lucrative crops. The problems and constraints to increase production of cassava included technical managerial socio-economic problems and those that arise from inadequate support services and marketing and from scarcity of land and infrastructure. The future outlook for cassava was somewhat grim due to the current declining trend in production. This outlook might however be transformed by drastic changes in the industry viz. expanding the scale of production improving market outlets for starch and animal feed and promoting cultivation on peat. Government mediation was required in all cases while private sector investment would be helpful

[error in script]

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	7 tables; 6 ref. Summaries (En Malay)
AGROVOC Term:	MANIHOT ESCULENTA
AGROVOC Term:	EXPLOTACION EN PEQUENA ESCALA
AGROVOC Term:	COMERCIO EXTERIOR
AGROVOC Term:	MALASIA PENINSULAR/ CULTIVO
AGROVOC Term:	USOS
AGROVOC Term:	MONOCULTIVO
Depositing User:	Ms. Norfaezah Khomsan
Last Modified:	24 Apr 2025 05:53
URI:	http://webagris.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/18680

Actions (login required)

View Item