A SARAWAK government research agency has managed to develop “rice” from sago starch, Datuk Seri Roland Sagah told the assembly today.
The state education, innovation and talent development minister said Craun Research Sdn Bhd, an agency that specialises in sago research, undertook the research last year and made the breakthrough earlier this year.
As to the taste of the “rice”, Sagah said if a person does not have a discerning taste, they “will not be able to differentiate between ordinary rice and sago starch rice”.
He told the assembly that the research by Craun would provide an opportunity to address food security and also to diversify sago products.
In a media conference later, Sagah said this rice from sago starch could probably not be produced on a large scale as “there is not enough sago” to meet the production demand.
The main sago-producing areas in Sarawak are in Mukah and Pusa, and it is the staple food for people in this coastal central part of the state.
Sarawak is also the world’s biggest exporter of sago, exporting annually about 25,000–40,000 tons of sago products to Peninsular Malaysia, Japan, Taiwan, Singapore, and other countries. – May 13, 2024.
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