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AgBiotech & Environment
From engineer to chilli farmer, this is the path that Alamin Muhamed of Pasir Putih has chosen. The ex-assistant factory engineer quit his job three years ago to return to Kelantan to take up farming, and has no regrets since. Son of a tobacco farmer, Alamin had always wanted to return home to take up his family trade, and the choice has since rewarded handsomely, with his 3000 plants yielding 10 tonnes of red chillies. The chillies are sold under the Bukit Awang Farmers Organization to supply Nestle Malaysia for the production of chilli sauce.
 
 
Asia’s second largest cocoa producer, Malaysia is planning to increase bean processing by 11% in three years, according to director-general of the Malaysian Cocoa Board, Ismail Azhar. Plans to increase the production of the chocolate ingredient to 300,000 metric tones from 270,000 tonnes by 2010 are being put into place. However, Ismail Azhar commented that production in Malaysia is likely to decline to 30,000 tonnes from 32,000 this season due to drought.
         
Investment & Industry
The Penang Science Park has been given much attention by industry players on an international scale, as there has been plans by several companies to set up plants at the biotech park in Bukit Minyak. The first biotech firm to open shop would be Progenix Research Sdn. Bhd., an independent contract research organization which provides pre-clinical research facilities in biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, agrochemistry and related industries. Similarly, the biotech park will soon receive its third tenant, an orthopaedic parts and components maker, Straits Orthopaedic Sdn Bhd, which is a contract manufacturer for medical device giants.
 
 

The biodiesel boom is still much on the way as the Ministry of Plantation Industries and Commodities is planning to launch a pilot project in Kota Marudu, Sabah to cultivate the jatropha plant, which can be used to produce biodiesel. The project is aiming at the participation in smallholders, especially in Kota Marudu, in the cultivation of jatropha so as to ensure that it is not only the large plantations which benefit from the latest methods. On the other hand, biodiesel supplier and trader MyFuel Ltd. is slated to set up two palm oil-based biodiesel plants worth RM160 million in Malaysia to capitalize on the strong demand for the “green” alternative fuel source.

 
US$280 million will be invested in Malaysia over the next three months as US-based group Actis Biologics and two other companies from India, stem cell researcher Manipal and pharmaceutical group, Avesthagen, are anticipated to invest and open a factory here. All three companies will be awarded BioNexus status by the end of the year, allowing the companies to get tax breaks and government grants for research. As of last month, there are 39 companies with BioNexus status, up from the initial four in December.
Lastly, Bioteam Sdn Bhd, a wholly-owned Bumiputera company, hopes to establish itself as the leader in the biotech industry, and make the country into a regional hub, especially in the production of halal products. The company has produced their first product, TAQMAX, an enzyme used in molecular biology for the diagnosis of DNA, genetic cloning, DNA sequencing, amplification and gene fishing. Its consumer products range from probiotic chocolate, Harimau Cafi, Fibre Cafi, Kacip Fatimah Cafi, skin care and Gastrin.
         
Policy
The State of Johor will be embarking on an endeavour to plant rubber trees as a supply of timber to the furniture manufacturing industry. According to the State International Trade and Industry, Energy, Water and Telecommunications Committee chairman Tan Kok Hong, the species of rubber to be planted grows faster and bigger than normal trees and would be planted in unused areas such as former logging sites. The move was a pre-empt to address the shortage of rubber wood supply, the main component of most locally made furniture.
In other news, Agriculture will be set as the main thrust for the East Coast Economic Region (ECER), with revenues slated to be RM8.57 billion in the three east coast states by 2020. In line with this, an agropolitan hub will be created by the ECER to provide all the basics required for the industry. Kelantan has been identified for the cultivation of poultry and herbs, while Terengganu for goat rearing and citrus fruits, while Pahang for cattle farming and pineapples. Agropolitan is a multi-faceted approach from providing quality seeds to good agriculture practices and business mentoring to enhance the industry. Similarly, in the Northern Corridor Economic Region, a multimillion dollar corn-processing will be up in 18 months to process sweet corn planted in Bukit Tangga, Kedah.