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AgBiotech & Environment

Agriculture and Agro-based Industries Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, implied that the nation should stop importing food and begin exporting. However, land allocation is the major hinderance behind this, hence the Federal Government put forward a request to state governments to allocate another one million hectares of land for agricultural uses. The move is aimed at securing our nation’s goal of being a net food exporter by 2010.

 
Despite the bad press, incinerators can be a viable source of energy for the country should they be implemented. The average Malaysian produces up to 1.8 kg of trash per day, putting a heavy toll upon our waste collection sites and landfills. The Director of the Center of Education, Training and Research in Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency, Prof. Dr. Kamarulazizi Ibrahim maintains that Malaysia is ready to turn to waste as a source of renewable energy in this manner.
 
Sabah has begun forest conservation in key environmental areas such as Lower Kinabatangan to ensure the survival of species diversity. Indigenous tree species are being planted in land reserves along rivers. The state hopes to reconnect “forest islands” in the region to facilitate gene pool exchange as a method in environmental conservation.
 
                 
Food
Walnuts have been largely touted as brain food, by the Chinese due to its brain-like appearance. Recently studies by researchers have verified this fact, as it was revealed that walnuts have high contents of omega-3 fatty acids (omega 3FA), minerals and amino acids is good for the brain and heart.
 
Similarly, researchers in Israel have discovered that a daily dose of tomato extract may help lower blood pressure mildly. On average, the top number of a blood pressure reading for patients who consumed tomato extract dipped 10 points while the lower number dropped 4 points. This is largely attributed to the anti-oxidizing effects of the extract.  
               
Investment
Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) and the Melaka State government will be seen working together to market the latter's bio technology products produced through Institut BioTeknologi Melaka (IBM). Under the cooperation, biotechnology products produced by IBM would be produced commercially and marketed with the help of UPM. In addition, the university will also provide help in the technical aspects of the sector. This is relevant with Melaka’s target of making biotechnology its new source of income. The state has to date invested RM7 million in the area.
 

Similarly, the Government may consider raising the fund size of the Life Science Capital Fund (LSCF) to help develop biotechnology businesses depending on the performance shown by the industry. Currently the Government is funding 70% of R&D in comparison to the 30% of funding other countries offer their industry. LSCF, which has an initial fund size of RM100 million, was announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in his Budget 2006 speech last September. The fund is made available not only to companies that have products to commercialise, but also to start up new ventures.

  
               
Golden Hope Plantations have been seen expanding their international ventures recently in teaming up with Godiver to produce biodiesel in the Netherlands. GHope signed a letter of intent on December the 20th with Godiver for the establishment of a Dutch company to build and operate a biodiesel production facility there. Both parties are expected to negotiate until March 15th or later for the signing of a joint-venture agreement of the project.
 

Carotino, the brand behind the ubiquitous red cooking oil, is slated to invest RM45 million in R&D to allow itself to maintain a competitive edge in the market. The investment has been acknowledge as an addition to the RM80 million it had spent on cutting-edge technology and manufacturing facilities. But Carotino executive director U R Unnithan maintained that it is inevitable as Carotino is sustaining its commitment to innovate, deliver superior quality and increase product applications.
 
Industry & Trade
Plant-based Bio Petrol, an alternate product to petrol by Pioneer Bio Industries Corporation Sdn Bhd, is expected to be in the market in the next two to three years. The product, developed over the last five years, was currently under the testing stage and would go into larger scale production once it is ready. The Bio Petrol is mainly produced from plants such as tapioca, sugar cane, corn and a small percentage of petrol, and can be used as a substitute to petrol and would be cost-effective as the cost of producing Bio Petrol is expected to be less than RM1 per litre. Currently, petrol price per litre is RM1.62.
 

A new anti-diabetic product by health supplements manufacturer INS Bioscience Bhd is being anticipated in allowing a double-digit growth in sales for the company this year. The product, Insupro Forte, is extracted from bitter gourd and shows significant the blood glucose lowering activities comparable to the standard drug, glibenclamide which is commonly used for diabetes treatment. Insupro Forte will be marketed to South-East Asian markets and countries like China, India, Japan, South Korea and South Africa soon.

 
Malaysia is being highly sought after in the coming EDIBLE OIL’06 International Business Fair for Edible Oils and Fats (EO’06) as the world’s largest palm oil producer to satisfy demand for palm oil-based products among international buyers. The exhibition provides a meeting point between producers of edible and non-edible oils and potential buyers. EO’06, is to be held in Sevilla, Spain, from September 19 to 22 this year. Based on updates on Bank Negara Malaysia’s website, Malaysia produced around 15 million tonnes of crude palm oil last year.
     
Policy
The government is considering ways to help institutions expand efficiently, including formal cooperation between agencies under the federal and state governments. This move is to prevent functions and roles from overlapping and to allow the research institutions to decide on the areas and roles that they need to focus on. In the long run, such formal cooperation will allow issues like intellectual copyright matters to be dealt with swiftly.
     
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak urged industry players to step up their game and make Malaysia a leading biodiesel producer. Speaking at the groundbreaking of the region’s first biodiesel plant in Lumut, the DPM believed that this is achievable in a few years, given Malaysia’s strategic position and current position as the world’s leading palm oil producer. He warned against committing the grave mistake of only exporting oil palm instead of venturing into other commercially more viable products like biodiesel.