Smallholders are usually ready to use fertilizers if they are easily accessible and, most importantly, if they are affordable and their use is profitable. Access to fertilizers in Malaysia is not a problem as there are many dealers around the country. The market is open and very competitive but prices have been rising in line with international prices. The government helps small farmers with fertilizer subsidies in order to improve their income and hence alleviate rural poverty.
In this chapter, information is given on the prices of some crops, the prices of some fertilizers in the Malaysian market and profitability based on the use of compound fertilizer NPK 12-12-17 (cost benefit analysis) for selected crops.
Table 24 gives the prices of selected crops at farm gate level for the years 2000 and 2001 with 1997 for comparison. Among the industrial crops, in 2001, tobacco fetched the highest market price followed by cocoa, rubber and oil-palm. For fruit crops, starfruit and watermelon were the most and least expensive respectively. Among the selected vegetables, hot chili and cucumber were the most and least expensive respectively. Table 25 shows the prices of some fertilizers in various Malaysian states in December 2003. The prices do not differ much across states.
TABLE 24
Farm gate selling prices of crop produce
Crop group |
Selected crops |
Average annual price (RM/tonnes) |
|||
1997 |
2000 |
2001 |
|||
Industrial crops |
Rubber a |
2 178 |
2 425 |
2 057 |
|
Coconut (copra) |
850 |
750 |
540 |
||
Oil-palm a (Palm oil) |
2 075 |
1 178 |
1 069 |
||
Cocoa a |
4 213 |
2 568 |
3 257 |
||
Fruit Crops |
Starfruit (B17) |
1 900 |
2 140 |
1 840 |
|
Papaya (Exotica) |
580 |
590 |
620 |
||
Cempedak |
1 040 |
860 |
770 |
||
Durian (Kampung) |
1 700 |
1 640 |
1 020 |
||
Sweet orange |
1 340 |
1 310 |
1 310 |
||
Mango |
2 200 |
3 000 |
1 660 |
||
Mongosteen |
1 280 |
1 680 |
1 720 |
||
Pineapple (Sarawak) |
1 230 |
1 160 |
1 080 |
||
Banana (Barangan) |
660 |
670 |
670 |
||
Rambutan (Gading) |
1 090 |
1 070 |
1 040 |
||
Watermelon (Yellow super) |
750 |
520 |
550 |
||
Vegetables |
Chinese spinach |
790 |
790 |
810 |
|
Lady's fingers |
1 450 |
1 790 |
1 580 |
||
Chili |
2 830 |
3 520 |
2 790 |
||
Long bean |
1 230 |
1 180 |
1 120 |
||
Cucumber |
570 |
590 |
550 |
||
Tomato (lowland) |
1 090 |
850 |
1 200 |
||
Spices |
Ginger |
1,800 |
2 370 |
1 850 |
|
Pepper |
White |
14 620 |
13 410 |
7 310 |
|
|
Black |
9 430 |
11 690 |
4 960 |
|
Lime |
1 260 |
1 520 |
1 100 |
||
Cash Crops |
Cassava |
340 |
340 |
420 |
a Market prices.
Source: Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority; Ministry of Primary Industries.
TABLE 25
Fertilizer prices (RM) in December 2003 per 50
kg bag of selected fertilizer products in various states
Composition |
Negeri Sembilan |
Pahang |
Perlis |
Terengganu |
Sabah |
Sarawak |
NPK 10-16-9 +2.5MgO |
|
43 |
|
|
|
|
NPK 12-12-17 +2MgO+TE |
66 |
49-60 |
40-60 |
62 |
62 |
55 |
NPK 12-6-22 +3MgO |
|
48 |
|
|
|
|
NPK 13-13-20+TE |
|
58-62 |
60 |
61 |
|
|
NPK 13-13-21 |
|
65 |
|
|
|
|
NPK 13-26-26 |
62 |
|
|
|
|
|
NPK 15-15-15 |
59 |
64 |
|
|
|
|
NPK 15-15-15+TE |
60 |
|
58 |
60 |
62 |
55 |
NPK 15-15-6 +4MgO |
|
48 |
|
|
|
|
NPK 15-5-20 +2MgO+TE |
|
90 |
|
|
|
|
34 percent P2O5 |
|
18 |
|
|
25 |
32 |
Urea 46 percent N |
48 |
55 |
40 |
|
39 |
36 |
Potassium chloride |
38 |
35 |
|
|
31 |
41 |
TE = trace elements
Source: Department of Agriculture, Peninsular Malaysia (Unpublished data).
TABLE 26
Crop fertilizer price ratios* in 2003 for
selected fruit and vegetable crops
Crop |
N |
P2O5 |
K2O |
Starfruit (B17) |
4.4 |
4.4 |
3.1 |
Papaya (Exotica) |
14.6 |
14.6 |
10.3 |
Cempedak |
8.9 |
8.9 |
6.3 |
Durian (Kampung) |
7.0 |
7.0 |
5.0 |
Sweet orange |
5.6 |
5.6 |
3.9 |
Mango |
5.4 |
5.4 |
3.8 |
Mongosteen |
6.4 |
6.4 |
4.5 |
Pineapple (Sarawak) |
11.0 |
11.0 |
7.8 |
Banana (Barangan) |
12.6 |
12.6 |
8.9 |
Rambutan (Gading) |
9.7 |
9.7 |
6.9 |
Watermelon (Yellow super) |
17.0 |
17.0 |
12.0 |
Chinese spinach |
10.0 |
10.0 |
7.0 |
Lady's fingers |
5.0 |
5.0 |
3.5 |
Chili |
3.1 |
3.0 |
2.2 |
Long bean |
6.9 |
6.9 |
4.9 |
Cucumber |
13.2 |
13.2 |
9.3 |
Tomato (lowland) |
5.0 |
5.0 |
3.5 |
* Based on NPK 12-12-17 prices.