1.   A DECADE ago, scientists at Universiti Malaya perfected a simple way to pack and transport pisang mas.

2.   And, historically, overseas demand for our pisang mas has always exceeded supply but apparently not enough to provoke us to increase shipments.

3.   As breakthroughs go, it would seem that the future of pisang mas had turned to gold.

4.   Fresh initiatives for pisang mas as an export fruit are part of the renewed national focus on agriculture.

5.   Growers frowned at the thought of transporting pisang mas because it was fraught with problems in a race against time.

6.   In the west, pisang mas is known as Nino, Ladyfinger, Finger Banana and Baby Banana.

7.   Ten years ago, serious attempts were made by agricultural agencies to promote pisang mas.

8.   This resulted in the identification of high yielding clones for pisang mas and pisang berangan.

9.   This fact alone begs for the mechanisms to push the resilient pisang mas.

10.   What Nair and her colleagues did in their laboratory was to tame the pisang mas.