Potential and Viability Analysis for Ginger Cultivation using Fertigation Technology in Malaysia

Ginger, or Zingiber officinale Roscoe in Latin, is a plant with high medicinal and commercial values. Most of high quality gingers are conventionally grown in mountain slopes such as in Janda Baik and Bukit Tinggi, Bentong, Pahang. Second phase planting on the same land can only be done after the land has been left (without any commercial crop) for at least 6 years. Thus, nomadic cultivation is still practised due to the soil-borne diseases such as bacterial wilt and fusarium wilt that attack ginger rhizomes, which results in yield decline. This study was conducted to evaluate the costs and benefits of ginger cultivation using fertigation with conventional methods for the production of mature and young ginger. Data were obtained from pilot project plot under MARDI and Department of Agriculture. Cost-benefit analysis showed that the costs of production for mature and young ginger using fertigation system were RM0.90/kg and RM1.41/kg, respectively, compared to RM1.36/kg and RM1.24/kg using conventional method, respectively. Annual net income for mature (RM174,680/ ha) and young (RM32,500/ ha) ginger production using fertigation system was higher than the conventional method (mature ginger: RM49,200 and young ginger: RM21,100). The higher net income was due to the high yield of ginger, two to threefold per hectare than the conventional method. Partial budget analysis also showed a higher benefit value than implication value in the event of farmers switching from using conventional methods to ginger cultivation using fertigation system. Overall, ginger cultivation using fertigation technology is proven to improve ginger yield and has a high viability. The high cost or initial capital will be offset by high production yield. This technology is also more environmentally friendly than the conventional methods and in accordance with the practice of sustainable agriculture development, besides conforms to present agriculture agenda.