KUCHING: The Malaysian Pepper Board’s (MPB) RM2.83 mln research station has been completed and will be handed over to MPB next month.
Deputy Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Datuk Willie Mongin, when visiting the research centre in Semenggok here on Monday (Feb 14), said the station was aimed at developing the farming infrastructure and facilities in order to increase pepper planting research activities as well as developing land plot research to test the effectiveness of its research and development (R&D) as well as to compile the pepper’s germ plasma collection in Malaysia.
“The setting up of the research station is in line with the steps taken by MPB and pepper industry to upgrade the R&D activities through a modern and sophisticated research facilities. “This will also be a catalyst to research activities that can enable MPB to carry out various R&D that involves pepper in a systematic manner and to collect germ plasma as well as to produce new pepper variants.”
Willie added that among the facilities that had been constructed included four greenhouse units measuring 168 square metres per unit.
“The greenhouse will be used for disease research, tissue culture, among others. There is also one unit measuring 150 square metres, which will be used to compile the pepper germ plasma collection.”
Besides that, Willie disclosed that two experimental farming plots were also being developed and these plots would assist in monitoring activities.
