Page 250 - The Guide To Sarawak

248 AGRICULTURE
Introduction
Sarawak’s 124,450 sq km include many different
types of terrain, much
of which is inaccessible
or biologically infertile. However, approximately 32% or about 40,000km2 of the total land area is suitable
for commercial agricultural development. To date, less than 9% is planted with productive permanent crops, with a further 12% under shifting cultivation for hill paddy. Thus, Sarawak has huge potential for further agricultural development.
SARAWAK’S EXOTIC FRUITS
Sarawak offers the connoisseur a superb variety of exotic and not-so-
exotic tropical fruits. Some selected fruits are listed below.
Bintangor Oranges
The oranges grown around Bintangor, near Sibu, are unique as the outer skin never becomes orange coloured as the fruit ripens, remaining deep green or
Bintangor oranges. Although the skin never appear to ripen, the fruit segments are bright orange.
A Sarikei pineapple, noted for its superb texture and flavour.
occasionally greenish yellow. When ripe, they peel easily and the flesh inside is bright orange, rich and juicy with a mild, tangerine-like flavour. The town has erected a statue to commemorate this unusual fruit, which is its civic emblem.
Sarikei Pineapples
Sarikei in Central Sarawak
is the leading pineapple- growing area and the fruits here are legendary; the town even holds a Pineapple Festival (Pesta Nanas) in
August of every year. Sarikei pineapples have possibly the finest texture and flavour
to be found anywhere. Very few are exported because
of strong local demand; such remarkable pineapples deserve to be eaten as fresh as possible.
Bananas
Bananas are Sarawak’s most widely cultivated fruit, found almost everywhere from city backyards to commercial farms covering almost 4,000ha. Sarawak has a wide variety of cultivated bananas, ranging from the small but exquisite pisang emas to the mighty pisang raja. Whilst bananas are grown for domestic consumption throughout the State, the commercial plantations targeting export markets are concentrated
in the Sibu and Sarikei areas. The most popular commercial variety is Cavendish.
Three varieties of banana. The commercially grown Cavendish (top left), the huge pisang raja (used to make banana fritters) and the tiny, succulent pisang emas.