The huge allocation and subsidies for padi cultivation under Budget 2010 signal Malaysia's serious commitment towards restoring its self-sufficiency level (SSL) for the commodity, which is heading towards a severe supply shortage worldwide. Asian rice stocks are said to be near danger level. On the other hand, the world's grain stocks have shrunk by half since 1999, from a reserve big enough to feed the entire world for 1 16 days then, to a predicted low of only 57 days by year-end. Malaysia hit the panic button on its rice security last year after it encountered severe price escalation in imported rice as well as shortage in its supply due to the opposition of export curbs by major rice suppliers in Thailand, India, Vietnam and China as a measure to contain their domestic food price inflation in 2007.

The deputy prime minister has called for greater cooperation and joint enforcement initiatives among state governments, the Wildlife Department and the Peninsular Malaysia Forestry Department in a bid to curb poaching and encroachment on wildlife. A National Biodiversity Centre is also slated to be set in line with the National Diversity Biology Policy which is aimed at strengthening institutional frameworks to protect biodiversity. Speaking at the Sixth National Biodiversity Biotechnology Council, now renamed the National Biodiversity Council, DPM Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin anticipates the move to be a timely shift to ensure greater protection for endangered species from extinction.

 

Despite strong anti-palm oil campaigns by NGOs targeting palm oil greenhouse gases, biodiesel exports in the EU and the US has risen steadily according to MPOB director-general Datuk Dr. Mohd Basri Wahid. Some 167846 tonnes of palm biodiesel has been exported till August in contrast to the 182108 tonnes exported in total last year. Current trends are seen to be encouraging despite being under 10% total installed capacity of local plants. However, to improve the recognition of oil palm as an established oil crop, Malaysia wants to standardize the way the way palm oil's impact on the environment is calculated, senior officials said yesterday.

The implementation of the B5 biodiesel programme in the country is still at the early stage, according to Malaysian Palm Oil Council chairman Tan Sri Dr Yusof Basiron. "We are only at the first stage of this programme and so far, there are no complaints from government departments that use B5 biodiesel for their vehicles. 'This means the programme is performing well," he said at the International Palm Oil Life Cycle Assessment Conference. The BS programme, which calls for a 5% blend of palm methyl ester with diesel for government vehicles, started in February and was reported to have a low take-up rate.

 

In order to purchase 400,000 doses of the H1N1 influenza virus vaccine, the Health Ministry is spending RM14 million to equip the country against the pandemic. Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai announced the purchase from GlaxoSmithKline as the company could meet the earliest delivery time. However Datuk Seri Liow mentioned the ministry had yet to fix the selling price per dose for the vaccine and that some firms could only provide the vaccine in mid-2010.