1/6/18 SAGO - Allah blessing that Sarawak and Malaysia had ignored

INTRODUCTION:

Sago, sagu, sasak, rumbia, lumbia, masago yashi as the plant is internationally; Indonesian, Papua, Malay, Tagloq and Japanese-wise known is a very unique and Allah blesses crop. In Latin it is known as Metroxylon sagu. This is the limited plant species that bears starch in its trunk as compares to others which are either tubers and or cereals. Sago belong to the palmae plant family. Sago is among the few palms that bear starch in the trunk as compares to other palm species which mostly bear fruits of different types vis coconut, nipah, areca, etc. To the native of Brazil, Borneo, Papua etc, the real delicacy of sago is the sago warm (the larvae of rhinoceros beetle), the milky high protein stuff taste as peanut once roasted as many said, but I dare not try. In Sarawak, if one visit Mukah, a coastal town in mid Sarawak, one can have a try on this siat delicacy. They said nice to have siat with canes of beer, and that is what they always do down there.

(2) My aim of writing this article, is to support the international interest over the plant as source of human energy, pharmaceutical, biofuel, and even for the aquaculture and livestock feeds development. Sago traditionally and even to this moment is still being treated as source of starch, nothing more. I believe, based on my experiences, knowledge and even personal perception, this plant warrant a just treatment as a gift from Allah for all humankind. I'm having a strong believe that after Taib Mahmud is no more the Chief Minister of Sarawak and with the hunger for faster return of investment; ROI, Sarawak will not be able to succeed to make sago as its prime agriculture commodity. Accordingly after Peter Chin had left MoPIC, the interest over sago at the Federal Ministry level is subsiding fast. Based on my Paper to the Economic Planning Unit (EPU) of the Prime Minister Department, Peter Chin indeed had made Malaysia Palm Oil Board (MPOB) to start a trial plot of 100 acres in Penor, Pahang to show case sago development on commercial basis. Upon the success establishment of such plot, now MPOB is in dilemma on what to do next.  I dare to say, Sago Industry in Sarawak (and Malaysia) will die to its natural course. Thus, I have lost patience and passion to see the growth of sago industry in Sarawak, to which I would like to throw this idea of Sago great prospects for international people to pick it up especially among the Japanese, Chinese and Indian. Indonesia and the Papua New Guinea (hopefully the poor) will benefit the best if sago industry could be well developed. Nonetheless, Mahathir now is back as the PM of Malaysia where in his earlier era, sago plus jatropa and kenaf had been identified as new agriculture growth areas. MoPIC was then tasked to advance the R&D on these crops. Now he is back, will he still remember to his directive on the matter?

(3) This writing is not a comprehensive presentation of sago as a whole, but as much as possible I'll dwell on its key economic, agronomic, and some industrial technical advantages over especially oil palm and rice. My direct involvement in the sago industry began in 2003, when I was tasked to spearhead the Sarawak GLC, LCDA, but I decided to leave the whole system by 2011. I had tried hard to bring some changes in the ways sago had been developed in Sarawak and Malaysia as a whole. In term of development policy, I had managed to get sago be treated separately from being continued categorized as minor crops as spelt out in the State and National Agriculture Policy. Indeed, the success must be attributed to Muhhyddin Yasin when he was the MoA Minister. I managed to take him down to explore and have a hand-on experience over the plantation and smallholders satellite estates being developed by LCDA in Mukah somewhere in 2007 (?). My best memory of his trip was when I took him for breakfast by the hawkers' stalls next to the Pasar Mukah, a real old day kopitiam treat. We sat among the local folks enjoying Kopi O and pulut panggang, but then when people began to realise who he was, as politician he then had to be busy greeting every body and later drifting mingling in  Walk-About-the Pasar Mukah. Unfortunately he left the MoA too early before I could work with him to get the Federal Grant to fund the development of 5,000 hectares satellite estates per year as he had suggested. But then, I was lucky to have known Peter Chin, whom then was MoPIC, while I was serving the R&DO Bintulu, thus, despite he was a bit conservative, I did managed to get good inflows of Federal Grant for the sago smallholder development in Mukah, Balingian and Pusa.

(4) Technically or agronomically, I had worked hard to infuse the concept of sago planting areas must be developed to be as good or even better than the oil palm. My observation in Sarawak, Sabah, Malaya, South Thailand; sago strive the best on alluvial soil. On peat soil, the land preparation must be as good or better than the oil palm. The development of sago plantation on deep peat area must come with heavy investment for the real good plantation development and management. In Papua, Papua New Guinea, and even those areas such as Lombok, Seram and Kendari, the Far Eastern Indonesia, I observed sago also strive well on much higher rolling grown. From what I had seen, despite the land are much higher and rolling, the ground is always wet or damp. The foggy island micro-climate environment and as well as the long sago frond, broad leaves and fibrous trunk contribute to such consistent ground dampness and good growth of the sago. Sago seem had been created and equipped to be able to capture fog and dew at night or early morning for its survival purposes. I believe the spongy trunk, long frond and broad leaves of sago played the seme role as those air-spongy root of orchid. In deed SubhanaAllah, such is the ecological indicators that people should had understood of sago best planting ground requirement: soft but good density ground, wet but well drain. The Melanau and Iban farmers and indeed widely practiced in Malaya and Thailand, sago is always associated with paddy growing areas; instinctively they knew about this, yet our scientists and planters ignored such indicators. Some headway, despite facing with great resistances were made in those areas, but unfortunate after I left, the whole system seem to revert back to where it had began. Pulang asal balik asal, as the Malays called it.

(5) There are substantial writing on the sago technicality and or ethno-botany available out there, but very less on the economic and commercial aspect of its. Accordingly, the primitive sustenance of the Indonesian and PNG sago industry is all about the incapability of their governments in dealing with the heritage Customary  Land Tenure System of the Far East Pacific. Papua and Papua New Guinea plus all those sago islands in the far eastern Indonesia, not only they could meet the vision of Isao Nagato, but most important, the nurturing and advancement of the sago commodity from my personal perspective, definitely would transformed their people livelihood be even better than of the oil palm industries. Sago is starch-based, a non-competitor to oil palm and alike. Wheat, maize, potatoes, cassava etc can be the threat to the development of sago industry and vice versa, but as we know starch is in shortage worldwide. Very unfortunate for the PNG, not only they are having problem with their uneducated population, but foreign interference into their natural resources management had hindered the economic advancement of their population. For instance, the Green Peace and Australian interest to protect marshland forest of PNG and Indonesia, I would say may have such agenda in their mind if not for reason to sustain their marine resources. Mismanagement of the PNG and Papua marshland can be a catastrophe for the South Pacific marine resources.

(6) Sarawak is the world champion for sago industry. Since 1880s, Sarawak is world sago exporter despite probably having the least area of natural sago. Sarawak had developed the finest processing technology which is home grown by a cartel of smallscale industrialists. The pioneer in Sarawak sago industrial development, I would believe began in Sibu. The Foo Chow ethnic Chinese whom dominate Sibu in those day, due to the peaty land nature of the region, they couldn't grow rice, thus learning from the local natives particularly the Malanaus and Iban, they then took sago as their staple food. But as time progress and due to resource locational advantage, Mukah then began to take on Sibu as key sago industrial development. The Melanau of Mukah ( and the Iban along the Rajang river bank) were not paddy farmers. Thus, they treated sago as their staple food. I would believe, the Melanau involvement in sago farming was the real starter of the sago industry. Again the Foo Chow of Sibu, expanded the traditional Melanau sago industry to the present much modern undertaking. Unfortunately since 1980s, the Sarawak sago industrial development remain stagnant due to resources problem and industrial perspective issues. Sago flour production had remain to about 50,000 Mt/yr since 1980s to this day.

(7) The Sibu and Mukah Foo Chow advancement in developing sago processing or sago flour extraction industry is nothing sophisticated. They indeed started by looking at the way the local traditionally had been extracting the sago milk know as rippo by shredding the sago pith then soaking them in water container while the ladies then step on it to milk the flour out. From such, then they came with the idea of mechanical shredding and pressing of the sago fiber. The sago milk then had to be pushed to certain shieving system before going onto the dryer conveyor and so on. Today sago processing industry indeed is a mixture of cassava, potatoes and timber processing technologies. The combination and fine tuning of these technologies would give one a fine modern sago processing factory. In 2011, a two tonnes sago factory cost around RM3.50-5.00 million set up.

(8) Papua (Indonesia) and Papua New Guinea are homes for the world natural sago. In both Countries, they have at least 5.00 million hectares of natural sago land each. As I said, despite various attempt to develop the sago industry in Papua and PNG, there seem to be not much progress. Papua and PNG are having too much option for the industrialist to really going into sago. Probably until and unless they are dried of their other easy lucrative options then sago would be the focus. The same applies for Sarawak. I can foresee the diminishing of sago industry in Sarawak is mainly due for Sarawakian had been seeing sago nothing beyond the linut ie boiled sago flour and or dried sago granule which has very limiting acceptance as source of food even among the local. Thailand despite having lesser sago area within the Nara-Pattani region, their sago food-based application industry is doing far better than Sarawak. Indonesia, definitely is the world largest sago flour producer, but due to their large population, their sago is all eaten as bakso. The PNG sago industry had remained as the traditional Sarawak in the 1930s.

FINANCIAL AND ECONOMIC:

The international interest over sago was officially recorded in 1976 when an International Sago Symposium was first held in Kuching through the initiative of the Dr. Isao Nagato who provided financial support to fund the Society for the Sago Palm and Sago Culture of Japan (presently the Society of Sago Palm Studies). Being in the army in the WWII he had seen the human famine miseries at such time, thus Nagato realized sago could be the solution to the possible human and fuel hunger crisis of the 21st century. Thereon, he initiated various studies and seminar on sago.

(2) To me, Isao Nagato fit into what the Malays proverb saying Kuman di seberang laut nampak, gajah mati depan mata tidak nampak of which literally means one can clearly sees a bacteria across the sea rather a death elephant under his nose. Nagato can foresee the great future of sago but not the Sarawakian (Malaysian), Indonesian and Papua. Sarawakian see more of the timber prospect in Brazil, Malawi, Russia and New Zealand rather the sago at home.

(3) The economic of sago couldn't be well comprehend without one looking at it from the comprehensive agronomic and industrial (economic and commercial) applications. Let me presented a brief economic and industrial significance of sago as the basis to evaluate the commodity economic advantages. Naturally and by researched, sago palm ideal density growing is almost similar to the oil palm ie 125-150 palms per hectares. This density had been practiced by the local farmers, by the Sarawak LCDA and even a sago plantation in Pulau Besar, Rhiau, Indonesia. Differing from oil palm, sago palm normally growing in cluster except for one species that is endemic for Bougainville Island of the PNG. Ideally, each cluster should be maintained to have 5-7 palms of different growing stages. Such "plantation" practices either in Sarawak and Pulau Besar, Rhiau, Indonesia, planting density of 125-150 palms per hectare with each cluster having 5-7 standing are adopted. Such practices is by reason to achieve about 80-100 palms per hectare harvesting annually.

(4) The Sarawak species and those that I observed in Malaya, Thailand, the Philippines and Java, sago takes about 10-12 years to achieve full maturity. Matured sago palm will normally produce a 10-12 meter trunk (log) filled up with sago starch. The matured sago palm would generate more and better quality of sago flour. Younger palm produce less and a bit inferior flour quality especially for bakery and food production purposes but still could be converted into other great industrial purposes. Indeed the other industrial applications of sago had not been well developed thus far, which I'ii touch on later

(5) With the harvesting rate of 80-100 palms/year, and for the Sarawak local species of 20-25 per cents flour extracting rate (FER), from 10-12 years onward after first planting, a yield of 16-25 mt of flour is expected for a hectare of sago farm. There are reports indicating the Indonesian and PNG varieties could produce 30-40 per cents FER. Since sago need no replanting, therefore from year 10th onward, the graph of sago production is considered constant at 16-25 mt/yr/ha. In comparison to oil palm, in term of yield, the oil palm Fresh Fruit Bunch FFB is equal to the sago log. Thus the crude palm oil CPO is then equivalent to the sago flour. Based on such perspectives, it is clearly shown that sago productivity is much higher than the oil palm. On per hectare basis, oil palm would produces 20-25 mt FFB and conversion to CPO would be around 4-6.25 mt/ha. On the other hand, sago would produce 80-100 mt of sago logs on per hectare basis. These logs is about 10 meters in length with about 45-60 cm in diameter. The wet weight of these logs is estimated about 1 mt/log. Therefore, the wet weight of harvested sago logs per hectare is estimated to be around 80-100 mt/ha/yr. With the flour extraction rate of 20-25 per cents, sago would produce 16-25 mt/ha/yr flour. In these senses, sago definitely is about 400 per cents much productive than the oil palm.

(6) The gestation period for oil palm is about 30 months upon planting. By the  eighth year, an oil palm is considered at full maturity, giving a yield of almost 20-25 mt/ha/yr FFB. By month thirty, the yield increases from 3-5 mt/ha/yr reaching to about 15-17 mt/ha/yr on the fifth year. The palm sustain its productivity of averaging 20-25 mt/ha/yr from year eight to year 22nd. Thereon the yield began to  diminish and needing replanting by the year 25th. Graphically, the productivity of an oil palm is about half parabolic in nature.  In fact, without replanting after year 25th, the productivity graph would turned a complete concave as shown in the graph to the left. Thus oil palm has a high and low pattern of productivity. If we take a 25 years life cycle of an oil palm, the total FFB production is estimated to be around 350-410 mt and equivalent to 80-90 mt of CPO and 12-20 mt PKO.

(7) In the palm oil industries, for every 1 Mt CPO produced, there will be about 1 Mt/dried fibrous biomass production (?). With the present technology and fuel demand, all these are now being slowly converted into compacted cube-biofuel. Similarly, the palm kernel shell are being converted into many other byproducts. Palm cake is another important byproduct of the CPO making process. Palm cake had been widely used in the livestock feed development. The only palm oil waste is the sludge., which still not seriously being studied for bio-gas and bio-fertilizer production. As a whole, though there should be more industrial application be discovered, the oil palm related industries had matured and being well developed by the MPOB and parties concern.

(8) On the other hand, working on the Sarawak species or variety, sago would need a gestation period of 10-12 years depending on the soil type. Sago growing on alluvial soil would need less gestation period comparatively to other less fertile soil such as the peat area. For good alluvial soil, around year 10th, the palm is ready to be harvested. As I had mentioned earlier, the planting density for sago range 125-150 palms/ha. By taking into consideration of 70 per cents of the plantation good performance, this planting density would thus be giving about 80-100 palms/ha/yr. Sago trunking (log) yield can be depicted by the S-curve Growth Pattern as shown in the Graph to the left. In term of biomass ie FFB equivalent as in the oil palm, 80-100 palms/ha is equal to 80-100 mt of 10 meters sago logs.  Conversion into flour, ie CPO equivalent as in the oil palm, 80-100 of 10 meters sago logs would generate about 16-20 mt of sago flour. Taking this fact alone, within the first 25 years equivalent life cycle of the sago palm, a total of 1,200-1,500 mt sago logs could be produced, which is 350-400 per cents more productive than the oil palm. Accordingly, for the first 25 years life cycle, a total of 160-200 mt of sago flour could be generated. This is 200-225 per cents more productive if compared to CPO production equivalent.

(9) In Shaa Allah sago need no replanting. There will be no second gestation period. Thus say in the second 25 yrs life cycle of sago plantation as against oil palm plantation, by no way the oil palm plantation can out do the sago plantation both in term of productivity and return by assuming all other factors remain constant. Say using a 50 years life cycle ie two 25 years life cycles; on per hectare basis, only about 160-180 mt CPO will be produced as compared to 560-700 mt sago flour. Indeed in a two oil palm planting cycles, a total of 5 years gestation period and followed by at least 10-16 years of lower yield period (30-40 per cents) is expected. This 5 years of gestation period and 10-16 years of low yield period is much higher costly for an oil palm development as compared to the sago. The appended Graph above is my theoretical comparison for yield productivity generated by sago and oil palm on per hectare basis over the 50 years life cycle. The graph clearly showing the cyclical nature for the oil palm while very higher, stable and sustainable for the sago.

(11) Indeed, at time of global environment concern over agriculture production, I dare to say, based on the productivity graph as shown above, sago is not only very stable and sustainable crop, but a much environmental friendly as compare to all others. Sago land will only be baron once but never be repeated as compare to wheat, maize, soy bean, rice, cassava, and or even the oil palm plantation.  Sago plantation can be real evergreen forever.

(12) While I'm writing this article (June, 18, 2019), the average CPO price is about RM2,214.00/tan while sago flour is fetching about RM2,500.00/mt. In 2003, when I was an active player in both industries, the price of CPO then was about RM1,500.00/mt while sago flour was only at about RM600.00/mt. Even at the peak price in 2017 whereby CPO price fetching the level of RM3,500.00/mt; by then sago flour price was just lingering around RM1,500.00-2,000.00/mt. Thus comparatively, sago price had increased by 416 per cents while the CPO just managed to garner 233 per cents (taking the 2017 highest price). In term of price increased, sago flour beat CPO by double fold. Thus if one dare to take the risk over the sago 10-12 years gestation period, indeed the reward ie total revenue generated by a hectare of a sago plantation within the first 25 years life cycle is far beyond the oil palm can achieve ie RM400-500K Vs RM280-315K which is about 50 per cent better.

(12) As for the field development and management cost, I would say it is almost similar except the cashflow spread slightly different. For the first 10 years, infrastructure and machineries investments for sago plantation might be a little bit lower, but much care may be need for the field upkeep especially for the weeding and pruning or desuckering. I believe, for field upkeep, serious consideration must be paid on how to promote fast waste decomposition to sustain the field fertility and wetness. My observation, sago produce more fronds as compare to the oil palm, thus accumulation of debris is much more intensive in sago area as compare to the oil palm. Faster decomposition of these debris would help to fertile the land better. Again, the technicality of the oil palm development could be easy capitalized in developing the sago farm. Allah had blessed us with a very advanced technology in oil palm development, and such to me is His well planned blessing for us to move into the sago industries, if we care to think, work and be passion and patience.

(13) As an overall, what I can say, sago plantation development and industries could only take a trajectory growth IFF the plantation economist and or accountant could look at the comparative cashflow of both sago and oil palm from a very different perspective: real long term sustainable investment rather the present traditional banking accounting or financial analysis. Taib Mahmud was indeed very futuristic as Isao Nagato in his out look of sago. Indeed I understood him as such, but unfortunately, there are administrators, accountants, financial and even scientists people whom can't see things beyond present ROI norms and traditional technicality, so much so, now Taib's and Nagato vision of the sago fate is dying sooner. Nonetheless, their vision is not really that matter, but our State and National opportunity socio-economic lost is a much profound thing that we must be concern.

(14) DOA, SEDC, LCDA, and Sarawak as an overall failure in sago industries development is not really a big issue and shouldn't be seen as a progressing deterring experience, but as I would put it in the sarcastic sense, we indeed had started by groping in the dark, yet when the light is clear ahead, we stopped. DOA started the game. Their game was mere copying the traditional smallholders. DOA had ever since focusing on the upstream production by the small guys. SEDC then in 1980s came in and wanted to champion the industry, by facilitating in the manufacturing aspect only but then they had to withdraw, for they forgotten the upstream aspect of the industry. LCDA then caught the ball, in mid 1980s-1990s, deferring from DOA and SEDC, landed in sago plantation development in peat soil with zero knowledge, thus played badly, then have a relook in 2000s, but then made a turned back to the old game play by 2010s. The existence of CRAUN, a special Sago Research Unit indeed had caused confusion in the sago development on deep peat. Numerous and non-consistent advice given to the plantation which to me are based on micro and short term findings really not helping the plantation sector. All was about, everybody were still in the laboratory stages. Nonetheless, around 2009 we were pretty sure on how to develop sago plantation both on deep peat and alluvial land, but then in 2012, I would say LCDA and the State dare not moving toward the light in a much strategic manner. The "accountants and financial" people keep looking back to the dark tunnel behind rather moving strategically ahead to the open coming light. We took the habit of we saw the light at the end of the tunnel, yet we stop where and when we see the light. I believe, such will also applied to the Pilot Penor Pahang Project.

(15) Indeed I dare to say, Sarawak has the best evolutionary experiences over sago industrial development. We had the experience over the success of the smallholders but badly manipulated by the small scale industrialist cartel. Then we (SEDC) ventured into the manufacturing as public intervention to correct the market, but we failed due to our negligence over raw material supplies improvement as well as other logistic issues. Then we (LCDA) embarked in material supplies development, but we started with the  non-proven hypothesis (not even theories) by forgetting the wisdom of the smallholders that Allah had infused upon them. Probably we are too arrogant to recognize the wisdom of Allah onto the smallholders and we believe the technologies and scientific discoveries can out do Allah wisdom, rather taking the sign given by Allah as guide to our technological and scientific discoveries. I remembered, when I ordered the drainage system in the plantation to be intensified, and clean felling and scraping of the land before planting and or replanting, it was then done with great resistance by the concept of irreversible drying of the peat soil will make it useless, though I argued, the desert had longing being death, yet when rain came, everything will bloom.

SAGO IN FOOD INDUSTRIAL APPLICATION:

I was touched but not surprise by a friend, when I was handed a research finding by a scientist whereby it was found out that for every tonne production of sago flour, a total of equivalent one tonne of dried waste is produced. From this dried waste, a total of 470 liters of ethanol could be produced, seem giving a yield of 47 per cents level. Purposely I posted the graph to the left to indicate the prospect of ethanol as against the gasoline ie diesel. Ethanol currently is mostly produced as part and parcel of the petro-chemical industries.  From this graph, the price for ethanol in the open market is about RM2.00/liter. Today (20 June, 2019) the price of our subsidised diesel is about RM2.18/l. Well let look at how much opportunity lost had we made yearly by thrashing the sago waste into the Rajang, Mukah and Dalat rivers - 50,000 mt of equivalent of dried waste. Based on the research finding, 50,000 tan of dried sago waste could generate 23,500,000 liters of ethanol. By taking the March 2019 price, such should generate about RM27,000,000.00 annually since 1980s. We had rubbished billions Ringgit for being ignorance and greedy short sighted.

(2) What are the major components of sago factory waste. Firstly the bark. Second the fibrous. Third the "sludge". Before I dwell on these wasted resources, let me put it clearly here, that the so called sago wastes are much environment friendly as compared to the oil palm factory wastes. Sago wastes are starch-related as compared to the oil palm which are fatty acid-based. The decomposition of the starch-based wastes are much faster and easier than the fatty accid-based wastes. For such, sago has the environmental waste management advantages over the oil palm. To reflect the broad application of sago starch in the food related industries, let me put here some of my personal encounter over the matter.

(i) I visited one maltodextrin making factory in Klang, Selangor once. This factory is using cassava as its source of starch. From cassava starch, he then produced maltodextrin. From maltodextrin, there came many other sweeteners and food preservative products. He used about 5 tan cassava starch daily. I was informed, the mill preferred sago starch over the cassava.  Meaning, he need at least 1,500 tonnes of starch annually. Based on this observation, I agreed for a private company to revive an SEDC/CRAUN abandoned Sago/Maltodextrin Pilot Plant in Mukah. The plant was able to produced about a tonne maltodextrin a day. Nonetheless, the economic operation is about 5 tonnes daily.  Due to the Company financial issues, I believe nothing much really had gone through. Accordingly, no one had ever came to me to really work out the best maltodextrin plan in Mukah as yet in those day.

(iii) Maltodextrin indeed is the basic ingredient for all sort of food sweeteners. One of it is in the production of caramel which is key ingredient in the production of carbonated drink such as Coca Cola, Pepsi etc. Worldwide there is a great demand for caramel both for drinks and bakeries industries.

(iv) I also did visited an Aji Nomoto ie Sodium Glutamate factory somewhere in Klang as well. This factory was importing the cassava flour as its raw material supplies. I was informed, if they could get the sago flour as their source of starch, they believe they could produced a better Sodium Glutamate quality as compared to the cassava starch.

(v) I did also visited a Kwe Thaw making factory somewhere in Shah Alam, Selangor. Their kwe Thaw distribution covered Klang Valley, Melaka, Ipoh and Penang. They need a mixture of 10-15 per cents sago starch to his kae thaw to make it much soft and elastic. The complain then was, they can't get enough sago flour. They consumed about 1,000 kg daily. That is equivalent to 25 tonnes a month and 300 tonnes a year. Their expansion was limited due to sago starch supply.

(vi) In 1980s, every time I get down to Kuala Trengganu, I will make a time to enjoy the Keropok Fish Cracker Losong. In those days, I can still remember the taste was superb. The cracker was much crunchy but soft and tasty. Today, I don't really enjoy the Losong Keropok anymore for, again they are complaining that they can't get sago flour as the complementary ingredient. Even if they can get from Thailande, the quality was very much inferior to the Sarawak produced. They need a mixed of 15-20 per cents sago flour to make their cracker softher and tastier. Nowaday, they are substituting the sago starch with cassava or poor quality of sago starch imported from Thailand.

(vii) Even in Indonesia, the street fried banana or banana tempura taste varied considerably. The one that is using sago flour as part of the ingredient definitely will give a better taste of fried banana.  I had tasted the same in part of Chambodia and Vietnam. Sago seem to give a special delicacy taste and texture to the flour-based dishes.

(viii) By trailing the Japanese in the production of the facial mask one entrepreneur through the assistance of MOSTI had came out with the invention of sago-based facial mask. A sum of money was required to enable for the products be put on clinical trial. LCDA was invited to participate, but due the unclear business model proposed, I decided not to take up on the venture. Indeed I had personal communique with the Medical person whom had been using such product for post chemo-treatment of her clients instead of using those being certified in the market, she was indeed very happy with the product. She just need 1-2 years clinical trial to enable her to put her testimonial confrirmation over the product.

(3) Those are among the limited application of sago flour in the food industries that I had known. The Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines had a wider applications of sago starch in their food industries. The Thailand, due to their aggressive food industries, they really capitalised sago starch especially in the food preservative sector. Indonesian bakso will not taste good if without the sago flour. Similarly lots of the Thailand and the Philippines light dishes would not taste good if without the sago pearl. In Sarawak, we had not get out of tebaloi and tumpik in our sago flour usage. Why? I would believe, the basic reason is the scarce supplies of raw materials. Scarcity sometimes limiting our creativity.

PROSPECT OF THE SAGO BYPRODUCTS:

The Chart to the left is the basic flow of a sago processing factory. Sarawak sago manufacturing had been very secretive on the sago processing technologies due to business reason. Indeed the technologies is nothing so complicated if one understand the mechanical engineering of starch production in cassava, potatoes, and even maize. Combination of these technologies with the timber milling technologies would enable the milling process be fined tune over time. The basic principal process in sago flour production would involve the crushing of sago pith into loose fibrous matter to facilitate the flour granule release which is currently done through some sort of water jet pressure and hydrolysis and thus sieving before going for drying.   Indeed, the growth of sago manufacturing in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea is deterred for their lack of interest to invent their own milling technologies. The Foo Chow of Sibu Sarawak for they had been longing in the mechanical and timber industries, they had perfected their system through trial and errors.

(2) It is clearly shown that, while the main product is sago flour, the factory byproducts or wastes are in the form of bark (outer skin layer), hampas which is basically the fibrous component with residual starch, and sludge which also content some residual or finer starch granule. The leftover sago bark, definitely could be turned into fiberboard production or even be crushed to produce fuel pellet. Sago bark is about 10-15 per cents of the sago trunk biomass. Indeed in a much modernized sago factory, the bark is no more the form of waste. The timber milling technology had been adopted in such, the bark is now being scraped into fibrous product and dried as source of heating materials. I would believe, these scraped bark fiber could be turned into fuel pellet. Thus, the bark is slowly being turned into source of industrial fuel for the boiler or dryer.

(3) As earlier indicated, studies had been done and indicating that the production of one tonne sago starch will produce one tonne equivalent of hampas. The hampas is basically coarse fibers which trapped or withhold about 20 per cents of the sago starch. The hampas indeed then is made of about 20 per cents trapped starch granules and 80 per cents fiber which indeed is a cellulose or higher degree of polysaccaride structure. This 20 per cents starch could be extracted through hydrolysis process to produce sugar ie fructose or glucose which then can easily dissolve in the water and thus could be extracted out from the coarse fiber. This dissolved fructose or glucose then could either be distill and condense to be turned into sugar or alike products, or even be converted for the synthesis of ethanol and methanol.

(4) The balance coarse fiber which is a mixture of different level of celluloid or higher degree polysaccaride chains could then be passed through a much rigorous hydrolysis  process. The product for such process is again either fructose or glucose. Many other byproducts could then be generated: ethnol, methanol, maltodextrine, and so forth.

(5) Even this cellulose could be turned into organic glues for various industrial application especially where health is concern. In the West and Japan where their concern over hygiene matters is so high, glue produce from sago starch and or fibers could be a better alternative to the petro-chemical-based glue.

(6) Accordingly, since the coarse fiber is about 0.50-2.00 cm in length, and indeed is mostly soft cellulose just like those of the alfafa grass, then if properly blended with all the correct ingredients, all these left over coarse fiber or the hampas as a whole could be a very good source for the production of livestock and fish feeds. Malaysia and Sarawak in particular is in real shortage of feeds supplies to boast their livestock industries. Again, as Allah wished it, the Nation is blessed with the CPO cake, and yet we can't really see why sago and oil palm co-exist in this part of the world. Sago fiber and oil palm cake I would believe could help the Nation in fulfilling her protein demand.

(7) I'm studying the various method of mushroom culturing medium.  This saprophyte thrive well in the forest floor and or dead wood. I figured out, musroom must be preying onto the cellulose of plant waste. Even on animal (inclusive of human being), mushroom also strive on the cuticle part of the skin. In Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines, wood dust, paddy husk, stray, and even EFB are widely used as mushroom culture media. Mushroom culture indeed is nothing that complicated or expensive. Thus I'm having a hypothesis, a good blend of sago coarse waste - residual starch with all the other conventional media may be could prolong the growth cycle period of the mushroom. In Shaa Allah I'll experiment on this soon. Mushroom had been proven to have numerous nutritional and pharmaceutical values. Thus, I would believe, cheap production of mushroom would be a best alternative to supplement or even lessen our Ummah dependent over animal meat as their source of protein. I can see, and In Shaa Allah, the presence of hundred of food suitable species of mushroom in our forest plus the abundance of EFB, paddy stray, and sago hampas could capitalise to the best blessing of Allah to the ummah.

(8) The coconut fiber is now very popular for the production of coco-peat for all sort of agriculture and ornamental plants nursing and production. Again, coconut fiber is nothing much different than the sago hampas except the later content too much water. There is a shortage of coconut in the Country, thus affecting the production of coco-peat drastically, and thereon spin over for its broad limited application in the agro-industries. Again, despite such shortage, and if one really serious about sago, one will discover, the best coconut growing area (except on sandy land) is also the best sago growing area. Here again as Allah had said, He made things in couple. Indeed sago can be the coupling and or complementing to so many other agriculture commodities. Compost I would believe is one of it. Good blend of coconut fiber, EPF and sago hampas would be giving a much better organic planting media for our plants.

KEY ISSUES IN SAGO INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT:

Indeed sago is just a source of starch just as the wheat, rice, maize, potatoes, cassava etc. All over the world, the industrial advancement in the starch industries could easily be emulated in the sago starch industrial application. Nonetheless, the basic challenge in developing the sago starch lies in the fact that sago is much bulky to handle as compare to all the others which are either tubers or grain. Sago handling especially within the present Sarawak sago development setting; with so much lacking in infrastructural and mechanization supports, made the harvesting and post harvest handling of sago logs as key deterrence for the very active participation either by the smallholders and private sector in the production of sago material.  Sago is a tree. Others are either annual shrubs or weedlike. Definitely, it is now much easier to handle the oil palm fruits FFB as compare to the sago logs. It is very much tougher to organize the post harvest management of sago trunks (logs)  as compare to tubers or grains and oil palm FFB. 

(2) Thus the profounding issue with regard to the limiting trajectory growth of the sago industries lies in the shortage supplies of the raw material which bound onto the lacking in infrastructural and mechanization support. In Sarawak, sago logs transportation is still by way of water transport which is very inefficient and inconvenient. Such mode of transportation had deterred the deep interest of the

local to venture in developing sago farm and as well as into the harvesting of sago logs. Indeed such had attributed to the diminishing of sago farms and sago farmers, which then limiting the production of sago raw materials. Limited raw material supplies had limited the industrial innovation of sago. The key to material supply now boil down to the fact, we failed to developed sago as our next golden commodity. This failure indeed was contributed to the fact we failed to understand the real sago agronomy and how best sago plantation should be developed. Sarawak was suppose to lead the way, through the LCDA 20,000 (?) hectares of intended Sago Plantation in Mukah and Dalat, nonetheless, I dare to say not even 3,000 hectares is now being properly developed into a real good sago plantation. In the short sighted over quick returned, I was sadden to know, most of the intended plantation areas had been converted into oil palm. The total investment to get this plantations development since 1986 (?) had cost the State in close to hundred and fifty million Ringgit (?), but the result is really very sad. Even CRAUN which was originally established to spearhead onto sago research, I would believe had diverted their focus more to non-sago related activities.

(3) Despite the initial losing of monetary and time, indeed Sarawak had gain the best lesson on how sago plantation could be properly developed. Just as I had said earlier, we saw the light at the end of the tunnel, instead of moving forward better, we chosen to withdrew back into the darkening beginning.

(4) Why despite we had started since 1986, to this day we failed to showcase a success story? Indeed the missing of this success story that had made sago as a no go crop. We, for so long had showcase a failure not a success that made the interest over sago to diminished greatly. Even the so called successful Penor Pilot Sago Min-Estate, I dare to say of no one knew about it. I dare to say, the Nation is being blacken over the success of the Penor Sago Mini-Estate. Within Sarawak, sago now seem to be a taboo, a crop to be forgotten. How bad to see people seriously ignoring Allah saying: "There is nothing not useful among My creations". Sago was created by Allah, and He never made any of His creation as useless. The "present uselessness" of sago is nothing more than human ignorance. The biggest failure in Sarawak sago industrial development if due to people cowardice to admit their failure, to really understand their failure and thereon to look for all means of possible success. Basically, Malaysian dare not to fail to succeed. Our culture of which can't accepting failure to succeed indeed pulls us back to progress in so many things.

FALLACIES THAT SHOULD BE ADMITTED: (  to be developed In Shaa Allah)

Looking back to my nine years experiences and knowledge in the sago and oil palm industries, I could see, that we had made numerous mistakes in how we had embarked on sago plantation development. Inter alia, among them are the following fallacies:

(i) In general, people are having the opinion sago strive well in peatland. So much so, people were also believing that sago strive well in deep peat area. Deep peat means area with the peat dept of more than one meters. The fundamental of this fallacies, for they observed sago seem to strive well in soggy land. Sago has been associated growing better in wet land. Sarawak peat is soggy, thus it was then been assumed wet-peat land must be the best ecology for sago.  But when I traveled all through Malaya, Southern Thailand, Sumatera, Java, then to those sago island in eastern Indonesia, I hardly saw sago on peat. Sago is always associated with paddy fields. Even observing closely those sago area in Sarawak especially in Mukah, Balingian, Pusa and sporadically those sago areas among the Iban farmers, confirmed my observation that sago is always related to paddy fields. I also visited the 'crazy' Harris Salleh farm in Beaufort, Sabah, my observation was just the same. Yes sago love water, but sago also need much solid ground to grow. Paddy field is always associated with alluvial soil with good drainage. People had missed such facts.

(ii) People also having the view that sago strive well in canopy. The main reason why they came to such conclusion was by observing such was the practiced of the smallholders' farms. Well which smallholder really care to tender their farm to the best practices? Smallholders are very pragmatic people. They knew sago is hardy crop with long gestation period, so much so, they leave sago to the nature, except they knew from experiences, sago do well on good drained alluvial soil. Based on this fallacy and the above (i), LCDA initial sago plantation development was made on deep peat areas with very minimal drainage and semi-felled forest. When I first visited the 'plantations' in 2002, I hardly could go beyond 50 meters deeper into the 'plantation', for they were still forest. I hardly can see any sago growing. There were some modified fields experiments done, whereby the lands were totally cleared, and the surface shrubs were well scraped, but again, the water table was kept high, I observed the sago growth were stunted, or failed to grow.  Again, the missing parameters here was good drainage and soil bearing capacity.

(iii) There was this theory or rather a hypothesis indeed, that good drainage is important for the sago growth, as drainage will facilitate good water flow. There were then few plots were established with good drainage except the plots were not really linked to good outlets. Basically, the plots were established in the middle of nowhere for the water to flow better. The intention of putting up good drainage were then merely to discharge excessive surface water. Ground water table was kept high. Good water flow means, good oxygen supplies to the sago roots. Such hypothesis was argued along the line that in soggy land, sago will produce lots of areal roots. These areal roots take the function to source for oxygen. I took such as logical then and to this day. My personal research on orchids of Batu Cave and Templer Park, Selangor in 1983-84 brought me to similar conclusion with regard to the orchid areal roots, to source for water and oxygen. But, to my second thought then, the drainage is more to facilitate for the faster decomposition of the peat subtracts and thus greatly improve the soil fertility and bearing capacity. Good drainage then was not only to facilitate for good dissolve oxygen supply to the plant but also for all those decomposing creatures.  Drainage then is having multi-purposes. Thus, I believe, the purpose of drainage in sago plantation development had not taking into account the mutual benefits of the drain to sago and its overall good growth ecology. People were too focused to sago, and had forgotten the overall symbiosis of the crop with the overall growth ecosystem.

(iv) Everywhere around the globe, we could see sago is closely associated with wetland. In Papua New Guinea and Papua, wild sago is mostly found in the marshland. This marshland indeed seem to be always inundated. Thus, based on all these sago ecological settings people believe sago loves water. In Sarawak in particular, the wetland apart from the mangrove, the abundant peat area is our natural water catchment area, always wet. For this reason, I would believe, what had made LCDA to embark on sago development in peat area. Indeed the 20,000 ha area for LCDA sago plantation development area, I can say 80-85 per cents of it is deep peat area. Definitely sago loves water, but sago don't strive well in inundated land. As for the marshland in Papua and Papua New Guinea, the land is inundated due to the swelling of the river basin during the rainy season which may last for 4-6 months. Thereafter, the marshland would be sufficiently dried. The marshland indeed is made of alluvial river basin. Indeed, sago can sustain a reasonably long flooding period of 4-6 months. Sago is best for alluvial or mineral soil with good water supply.

(v) People were also having great puzzle on the manuring of sago palm. I had written much earlier, the principle notion of sago manure should not be too far from all the other crops. Probably, as in cassava and paddy, the main product of sago is starch, therefore, the life cycle fertilizing requirement  of sago should bear more focus toward to facilitate the synthesis of the starch. The idea that sago need less fertilizer, I would believe is of the smallholders orthodox views. From the commercial stand point, sufficent amount of fertilizer is needed in the sago palm development just as in any other crops.

(2) Based on the LCDA long mistaking experiences, Sarawak should now be able to moveon better in sago plantation development. Good drain, field preparation and upkeep, and ....
Sago need less fertilizer and maintenance

SAGO AGRONOMIC Vs the OIL PALM:

As I had said, in term of field development and management of a sago plantation, it would not be much different from the oil palm. The key would be good soil bearing capacity and water management regime. In term of field development cost, for 1-3 meter depth peat and alluvial areas, I would say the cost will be just equivalent to the oil palm except due to longer gestation period, the overall infrastructure and machineries investment would be initially 30-40 per cents lower and need not be upfront. I strongly discourage and indeed a total fallacy to a suggestion for sago development in deep peat area ( more than 3 meters depth), unless heavy investment for serious soil compaction and drainage development investment is made available. Soil bearing capacity is the key technical consideration that one must seriously be concern over peatland development. Indeed I tried this for Sebakong Estate, and good growth result was coming nicely and thus pushing for similar approach for the Mukah and Dalat plantations. Indeed in developing the smallholders satellite estates, I made such approach as compulsory, so much so their performance was much better then the LCDA plantation proper. Similarly, I dare to say it is a serious fallacy to suggest sago could be developed under permanent wetland ecology. I agree, wetness is needed in the sago plantation development, but even in the natural ecology of the Papua and Papua New Guinea, the sago marshlands are not inundated all year through. Allah inundated their sago land for only certain period of the years for reason I would believe to facilitate natural fertilizing, weeding and definitely harvesting.

(12) My observation, sago that grown in permanent wet ecology will slow or never trunking; most would be stunted. Rather than trunking the palms gone for primary growth ie keep producing babies, suckers so much so, the cluster getting wide bushy spread over time.

(12) Sago area need good water management regime is nothing too hard to be understood. Sago is about producing starch. The basic formula for starch is CHO. Both the HO components came from H^2O of the water molecule. Thus, water supply must be within the easy reach of the crop. But again, making water access doesn't mean the crop need to be inundated. To me, sago is a biennial perennial crop, thus though it need water but the water supply must be in a proper drainage system. In my simple sarcastic term sago is a crop, not a fish.

.. to be continued In Shaa Allah