He said the programme would be implemented in two phases, namely the pre-commercial phase from this year to next year, followed by the commercial phase from 2026 to 2030.

He said the pre-commercial phase aims to assess the viability of small red onion cultivation in Malaysia, with the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (Mardi) supplying 70 tonnes of small onion seeds and 230kg of small red onion seeds.

Mohamad said during the pre-commercial phase, an onion cultivation area spanning 100 hectares would be established, with an estimated production yield of five tonnes per hectare.

“Onion cultivation can be done twice each year. Onion production (during this pre-commercial phase) is anticipated to reach 1,000 tonnes,” he said during the question-and-answer session at the Dewan Rakyat today.

He was replying to a question from Idris Ahmad (PN-Bagan Serai) about his ministry’s efforts to reduce onion imports by 30%.

Mohamad said the commercial phase of the programme would involve the development of a 1,347-hectare area, with an expected onion yield of 14,470 tonnes.

He said the programme would only involve the cultivation of small red onions, as Mardi has yet to discover suitable varieties of onions and garlic for planting in Malaysia.