JOHOR BARU, Dec 15 — The Johor government plans to embark on large-scale black pepper cultivation in the state, in light of its high market demand as a staple condiment.

Johor Agriculture, Agro-Based Industry and Rural Development Committee chairman Datuk Zahari Sarip said the state government will start the project in Segamat, effectively turning the district into a black pepper cultivation hub.

"We have held discussions with the East Coast Economic Region (ECER) and the Johor Agriculture Department to cultivate an area of between 50 and 100 acres (20.23 to 40.46 hectares) for black pepper plants as a start.

"Every year, the country imports more than 2,000 metric tonnes of black pepper from Vietnam and India to meet the domestic demand in peninsular Malaysia.

"From there, we believe that the black pepper crop has high potential,” said Zahari to reporters after being presented with the first batch of MD2 pineapples to be exported Germany at the Kulim Pineapple Farm in Ulu Tiram here today.

Zahari said the project required an allocation of up to RM1.6 million for its initial stage.

He said the cost was necessary for the planting to the harvesting process of black pepper.

"Apart from the Segamat district, the state government is also keen to cultivate black pepper in other districts, such as in Kota Tinggi, Ayer Hitam and Batu Pahat," he said.

Zahari, who is also the Buloh Kasap assemblyman, explained that the efforts made to cultivate black pepper were also in response to the views of Johor Ruler Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar.

He said Sultan Ibrahim wanted to bring back the cultivation of black pepper which played a key role in the early socio-economic development of Johor.

Johor was the top black pepper producer in the country before independence. The early development of Johor was also credited to the crop.

At present, Johor is behind Sarawak in black pepper production in Malaysia.