BETONG: Researchers from Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) were in Pusa assisting producers of gula apong (nipa sugar) to enhance their products.
Kampung Tambak and Kampung Serabang in Pusa are well-known for producing much high quality gula apong as they have big areas of cultivated and wild nipa palms.
Considering this, Koperasi Persatuan Warga Islam Saribas (Koperwaris) director Dr Bolhan Budeng invited the group of researchers led by Prof Dr Kopli Bujang and five post-graduate students to field ‘Gula Apong-based Product Manufacturing Course’ at Kampung Tambak from last Friday till the following Sunday.
Supported by Unimas’ Community Sustainability Centre, 47 local residents took the course that focused on the production of dark chocolate, serikay’ (nipa spread), nipa juice and nipa sauce. It was an attempt to educate the locals to produce value-added products that could be used to generate their household income.
Present on Saturday to officiate at the opening of course was Beting Maro assemblyman Razaili Gapor who commended the efforts of the researchers.
Gula apong is a traditional dark brown semi-solid sugar from the nipa palm. It is produced by boiling and cooking air sadap, which is a cloudy and yellowish fluid obtained by slicing the flowering or fruiting branch of the palm.
Air sadap is highly prone to degradation due to its high sugar (glucose) content and various other nutrients which support microbial growth. As such, it needs to be consumed immediately to minimise bacterial fermentation.
Due to the absence of proper chilling facilities in rural areas, the only option is to boil the air sadap until it solidifies to become gula apong. The long boiling period more or less sterilises it and prolongs the shelf-life.
According to Prof Dr Kopli Bujang, gula apong is normally sold in round Tupperware containers by roadside hawkers and local markets.
“It has been used in numerous drink concoctions and even flavours several types of ice cream. However, we feel that more should be done to promote its use to reach the level of global consumption,” he said.
He shared that the group’s studies revealed that to produce a kilogramme of gula apong requires a minimum of five litres of air sadap.
“Since one litre of air sadap cost about RM6, the total cost is RM30 to yield 1kg of gula apong, which is sold at between RM6 and RM8 per kg.
“Clearly, there is a need to modify this gula apong to recover the lost value. But to the gula apong producers, this loss has been part of the business and is accepted,” he said.
Research on lab-scale production of gula apong using modified parameters and detailed studies of the nutrient contents began in 2016 by Prof Dr Kopli Bujang at the Faculty of Resource Science and Technology, Unimas.
The areas of study focused on three locations — Kampung Pinggan Jaya and Kampung Asajaya (Kota Samarahan) and Kampung Tambak (Pusa).
These were followed by the creation of several value-added products which should serve to enhance the income of producers and concomitantly to promote the nipa industries in the state.
