KUCHING, May 13 — A Sarawak crop research agency has found a way to turn sago starch into a grain-like product resembling rice.

State Education, Innovation and Talent Development Minister Datuk Seri Roland Sagah Wee Inn said today that state-owned CRAUN Research Sdn Bhd has made a breakthrough in formulating starch from sago to be made into the rice alternative.

"I must commend our scientists and researchers at CRAUN for their efforts.

"If you do not have a discerning taste, you will not be able to differentiate between ordinary rice and sago starch rice,” he said in his winding-up speech.

Sagah said the effort by CRAUN would provide an opportunity to address food security and also to diversify sago products. He said CRAUN — which stands for crop research and application unit — has been doing the research for the past two years and "it is only recently that we wanted to make it known.”

He said commercial production will be made later as production is still at the laboratory stage. "It is already on trial but not commercialised yet until we have the required amount of sago,” he said.

"The breakthrough is a combination of all researches that they have done for all these years,” Sagah told reporters after his winding-up speech. "Firstly, you need a lot of sago. Then you can produce the required amount that we need.

"As of now there is not enough sago because it is also made into other products,” he said.

Sagah said it was too early to tell if the rice alternative made from sago would cost more.