GOPENG: Perak will expand the cultivation of the BAW-1 red onion variety, also known as Bawang Perak, to several districts identified as suitable for the crop.
Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad said the districts include Kuala Kangsar, Muallim and Perak Tengah, in addition to Kampung Ladang Bikam in Sungkai, Batang Padang, which began planting the variety last year.
“We will open new areas that meet the criteria for onion cultivation, as it must be grown on fertile soil to produce high-quality yields. Bawang Perak is known for its sweet and flavourful taste, which adds to its market appeal.
“So far, four districts have been identified as suitable, and we will expand to several more,” he told reporters after launching the FAMA Fest 2025 @ Perak at the Rural Transformation Centre here today.
Also present were Deputy Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Arthur Joseph Kurup and State Rural Development, Plantation, Agriculture and Food Industry Committee chairman Datuk Mohd Zolkafly Harun.
Saarani said a total of 12.4 metric tonnes of Bawang Perak was produced last year from a nine-hectare cultivation area.
Earlier, in his speech, Arthur mentioned that the Agriculture and Food Security Ministry has allocated an additional RM1.4 million this year to expand the cultivation of the variety.
He said the commercial-scale production of Bawang Perak – the first of its kind in the country – was a significant milestone made possible through collaboration between the Perak Agriculture Department and the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI).
