• Monocot (flowering palm , one-seed leaf, lowers in multiple of three, usually with parallel leaves veins, vascular bundles scattered, fibrous root composed of adventitious roots)

• Perennial crop

• Storing starch in its trunk

• Hapaxanthic (once-flowering)

• Soboliferous (tillering or suckering)

• Frond production at rosette stage: 2 per month (optimal condition)

• Rosette stage : 3-5 years

• Trunk stages: 4-14 years.

• Average frond at trunk stages : 1 per month (24 per year) under optimal condition

Sago starch is valuable source of carbohydrates. It is widely used in the food industries. Products that had been produced from sago starch are monosodium glutamate, high fructose syrup, glucose, maltose, dextrose, caramel, vinegar, bakers’ yeast and products for local food industries. Recent research has shown that product such as maltrodextrin, cyclodextrin, modified sago starch, biodegradable plastic and absorbent, and animal feed can be produced. Sago starch has also been used as a base for medicines and cosmetic.

Sago palm (Metroxylon sagu), is a crop that grows successfully on deep peat in Sarawak. This indicates that sago palm is capable of adapting itself to the nutritionally poorer medium of the deep peats due to its dense and effective root system. Although the palm takes a long time to reach maturity, it, however, grows in perpetuity. Moreover, there is no maintenance, no fertilizer and replanting needed. Hence, growing the crop on deep peat is economically viable. However, better plants with high starch content have been found on alluvial soil along riverbanks.

Sago palms in plantation with proper drainage, maintenance and fertilizer will mature faster. This high yielding crop can be grown on a very marginal soil resource with minimal disturbance to the natural swampy environment. In Sarawak, sago cultivation has traditionally been done on small land holding schemes for at least 60 years.