MAHA 2026: UUM PRODUCES LIQOFAS INNOVATION TO REVOLUTIONISE THE NATIONAL PINEAPPLE INDUSTRY

UUM ONLINE: Serdang, 30 August 2026 – Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) has developed LiqoFas, a liquid organic fertiliser innovation capable of accelerating pineapple production.

This high-impact innovation is the result of ongoing research by two UUM experts from the School of Economics, Finance and Banking (SEFB), Dr. Hartinee Abbas and Dr. Nur Marina Abdul Manap, through a strategic collaboration with the Malaysian Pineapple Industry Board (LPNM).

LiqoFas was officially launched yesterday by the Secretary-General of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (KPKM), Datuk Seri Isham Ishak, in conjunction with the Malaysia Agriculture, Horticulture and Agrotourism Exhibition (MAHA) 2026 at the Malaysia Agro Exposition Park Serdang (MAEPS).

UUM Vice-Chancellor, Professor Dr. Ahmad Martadha Mohamed, said the UUM innovation demonstrated how the university's expertise could extend beyond academic boundaries, with research outcomes being translated into practical solutions for the country's agro-food industry.

"UUM is no longer only known for its expertise in management and social sciences, but now stands firmly as a driver of innovation that has a direct impact on the people's economy and industry.

"The success of Dr. Hartinee and Dr. Nur Marina is proof that the expertise of UUM academics can address real-world challenges in the field," he said.

The key advantage of LiqoFas lies in its ability to shorten the pineapple production cycle, particularly the popular MD2 variety.

Under conventional cultivation, MD2 pineapples require up to 15 months to reach harvest maturity. However, through the scientific formulation and controlled fermentation process developed by UUM researchers, the cultivation period can be significantly reduced to between 10 to 12 months.

This shorter production cycle not only improves nutrient management and supports more efficient vegetative growth, but also enables local pineapple entrepreneurs to achieve faster returns and enhance the profitability of their operations.

Also witnessing this historic moment were the Director of the Agriculture Division, Ministry of Economy, Datuk Zul Hadi bin Ahmad; Director-General of LPNM, Mr. Mohd Khairuzamri bin M. Salleh; and Director of the Product Development and Biotechnology Division of LPNM, Mr. Elmie Adha bin Ismail.

Prof. Dr. Ahmad Martadha said LiqoFas was developed using agricultural waste including pineapple leaves, skins and unsold fruits.

According to him, the waste-to-wealth approach transforms agricultural by-products into valuable resources, while supporting circular economy practices and more sustainable farm waste management.

“In line with the MAHA 2026 theme, ‘Value Creation for Food Security’, the synergy between UUM’s scientific and economic expertise and LPNM’s technical support and industry network demonstrates an ideal model of higher education institution–industry collaboration.

“It ensures that research outcomes are not confined to mere academic publications but instead translated into commercial products that contribute to the socio-economic empowerment of the community,” he said.