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Agriculture
The agricultural industry will be getting a boost through a RM1 billion allocation for Bank Pertanian Malaysia by the government this year. The increased paid up capital of the bank will allow it to disburse more loans to eligible farmers. This will allow farmers involved in small and medium enterprises to thrive, with more agri-based products available on the market today. The agriculture sector has been marked as a third engine of growth by the government.
 
Kumpulan Guthrie Bhd will be increasing its clonal palm output to two million units. Currently, the group’s R&D arm, Guthrie Biotech Lab Sdn Bhd, is capable of producing 350,000 clonal palms annually. Clonal palms produced via micropropogation is superior to seedlings as they are capable of yielding more than 35 tonnes of freash fruit bunches and have an oil extraction rate of more than 25%, while the plantlets are genetically identical and are capable of flowering and fruiting at the same time.
           
Health & Environment
   
The tropical rainforests of Malaysia is a hotspot for biodiversity. Naturalists have long examined these exceptional ecosystems for new and unique species. One recent example would be the discovery of the world’s largest dragonfly at Gunung Panti Bird Sanctuary during a river clean-up. Similarly, Japanese scientists working on a mosquito database for the Sarawak museum has discovered two new species of mosquitoes in the Bario Highlands of northern Sarawak.
           
A “Taxonomy on Marine Algae” Workshop at Port Dickson recently had marine scientists and researchers alike combing the rocky shores and mangrove swamp forests for algal species. The workshop, organized by University Malaya Maritime Research Center, was a first of the country and was held in collaboration with students and scientists from other countries to identify and classify various species of marine algae.
 

RM180 million from the Health Ministry’s budget is being spent annually on drugs for three common diseases, namely hypertension, diabetes and high cholesterol. The high number is generally due to the increasing number of people afflicted by these lifestyle diseases, with numbers expected to rise by 13% by 2020. Most of these diseases are caused by a combination of factors including poor eating habits, lack of exercise and smoking.

 
Industry
Biotechnology will be the frontrunner in revolutionizing the oil palm oil industry, commented MPOB chairman Datuk Sabri Ahmad at the International Palm Oil Congress recently. New, up to date technologies like genomics, genetic engineering and tissue culture are many of such methods which the oil palm oil industry could utilize to enhance productivity, and maximize positive traits for palm oil. However, R&D in oil palm oil is getting increasingly important as we begin to compete with 16 other oils and fats on the world market, as does locally. One such example would be that of IJM Plantations, which has launched its biodiesel module producing 30,000 tonnes of biodiesel recently.
 
Fertilizer maker MG Biogreen Sdn Bhd, has great plans in building ten palm waste management plants over three years as palm mills become more environmentally conscious. The plant also generates carbon credits, which are measured in certified emission reductions (one tonne of carbon dioxide reduction), and has already signed an Emission Reduction Purchasing Agreement with Japan’s Kansai Electric Power Co. to sell up to 400,000 carbon credits generated.
Felda will be entering the lucrative North American oleochemicals business as it has managed to acquire US-based Twin Rivers Technologies for RM241.4 million. This will provide Felda with a platform to push its palm products into an all new market. The move is in line with Felda’s strategy to lead the vegetable oil sector, while exposing their executives to the best practices in the world. Twin Rivers is the third largest manufacturer of fatty acids on the continent.
           
Policy & Investment
 
In a recent initiative from the government, RM236 million will be allocated in Budget 2008 to boost our fledging biotechnology industry. The fund will be utilized to buy technology for the biotech sector, fund an anti-cancer compound research, develop a Biodiversity Research Center, as well as setting up a Biotechnology Commercialisation Center. It has been anticipated that the usage of the fund will allow the mitigation of inherent risks for the private sectors involved in the industry.
Alor Gajah looks set to be the next biotechnology hub of the world, as a massive project costing US$400 million (RM1.36 billion) by Actis Biologics Inc. will be debuting there. The making of Bio-City in Malacca is in line with the hopes of creation of a self-sufficient, dynamic Life Sciences industry and will allow Malaysia to establish itself as a hub in the country and the region. A Life Sciences training institute would also be created at the hub to produce people specialized in biotechnology to meet industry demands.