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A Window To New Global Starch Resource

Sago palm, which scientifically is called Metroxylon sagu Rottb. is long known among certain natives of Borneo, Papua New Guinea and in the tropic of South America as their main source of starch source. In Sarawak, the plant has been domesticated and became staple food among the Melanaus who settles in the coastal belt of Mukah-Balingian region. Similarly, the Penan, a hill-tribe of Sarawak still consumes sago as their main source of starch.

The uniqueness of this starch-plant, whereby, differing from all other starch-source crops, sago starch is extracted from the trunk, while other starch crops are annual in nature, sago is a hardy perennial crop which could strive in more harsh ecosystem: fresh water flooding or saline area.

The potential of sago as one of the early State agro-commodity is well traced back to the 1880s, when it was commonly traded in Singapore. Since those days till present, sago is traded mainly as primary process product: as sago flour. The great prospect of sago, is in the area of modified starch products such as glucose (as sweetener), caramel (coloring and flavoring), mono-sodium glutamate (flavor enhancer), maltodextrin, maltose and high fructose syrup. In the non-food industry, sago starch is potential candidate to produce biodegradable plastic, adhesive, pharmaceutical products, etc.

Based on the crop ecological requirement, commercial agronomic practices and market prospect, there is no doubt that sago should be classified as one of the eco-friendly and sustainable starch resource that warrant greater attention both in term of bio-tech R&D and industrial utilisation.

As such, the Sarawak State Government through its statutory body (called Land Custody and Development Authority (LCDA) formed a subsidiary company named Crops Research Application Unit (CRAUN Sdn Bhd) to specifically spearheading the R&D both in the down and upstream of sago. To date, CRAUN had achieved various successes in such fields which are very critical to support the parent body (LCDA) to embark into the Total Development of sago Industry by 2010 covering the commercial development of Sago Plantation and downstream processing for greater value chains.

This website, CRAUN Homepage, is a window for the exploration of sago as Sarawak gift to global food and non-food starch-based industry development.