Felda
will spread its wing into large-scale
herb farming next year in line with the Government’s
emphasis on agriculture. Felda chairman Tan Sri Yusof said
some settlers had begun growing herbs on their small plots.
“We are now studying infrastructure costs to carry
out the project on a larger scale with the Pahang Government
in Tekan”. With a RM5 million loan allocation approved
by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak for these
purposes, Yusof said Felda would explore the herb farming
industry intensively.
In
addition, Agriculture and Agro-based Industries Minister
Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin wants the agriculture sector to
look into the setting up of a
seed and gene bank. “It is time for us to have
our own seed and gene bank because of the high cost of importing
seeds and cattle,” Muhyiddin said. “Apart from
creating a stockpile, the seed and gene bank must also look
into quality control and post-harvest management,”
he added.
In
a related front, Johor is going
big in developing biotechnology as part of its plans
to diversify the state economy. Menteri Besar Datuk Abdul
Ghani Othman said while manufacturing and services would
continue to be the mainstay of the economy, the new thrust
would be agriculture, with the focus on biotechnology. “As
a first step, we will open 1,215ha of new agriculture land
in Sisik near Kota Tinggi where a RM1 million tissue-culture
laboratory will be set up.”
“We
will work with local universities to encourage research
and development on herbal farming to extract derivatives
for use in health products. In the West, there is a growing
market for such products, Johor is keen to develop this
sector by developing its own range of products from local
traditional herbs”.
Food
& Nutrition
Diabetes,
especially Type 2 diabetes, is on the increase worldwide.
At least 177 million people are thought to have some form
of diabetes and this figure is expected to double by 2030.
This is especially true in Asia: the number of cases of
diabetes in India, China, Indonesia, Japan and Pakistan
are some of the highest in the world, according to Asian
Food Information Council (AFIC).
Many experts believe that the greater
tendency for Asian nationalities to develop Type 2 diabetes
is related to the accumulation of excess fat around the
abdomen. Please click here
to find a summary of current expert thinking on how
and why it’s so important to halt the rising rates
of overweight and obesity around the world.
In a related
article, it was found that starchy foods are linked to diabetes.
The study which followed the diets and health records of more
than 36,000 men and women was carried out in Australia for four
years. To find out more, please click here.
Industry
& Environment
Malaysia
needs to build up a strong database of what it currently
has within the biodiversity area and launch a partnering
strategy if it wants to be a key player in biotechnology,
says a US merchant global player.
G Steven
Burrill, whose firm Burrill & Company has provided venture
capital funding to several biotech start-ups in the US,
says Malaysia needs to identify its sustainable competitive
advantage by combining its unique capabilities while acquiring
complementary assets. This way, Malaysia can achieve a world-class
position within a
defined biotech niche.
Elsewhere,
Kulim (Malaysia) Bhd has recently completed the signing
of a memorandum of understanding with Solomon Islands Plantations
Ltd earlier this month to buy oil palm plantation land.
Its foray into Solomon Islands involves the purchase of
15,000ha, of which 6,500ha are already planted with oil
palms. It is set to become one of Malaysia’s
biggest oleochemical players once its fatty acid plant
in Pasir Gudang, Johor is operational by October next year.
Investment
The
Prime Minister’s push for biotechnology, as another
sector to propel Malaysia’s growth and development,
was given a big boost with Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s
three-day official visit to Cuba last month. Datuk Kamal
Yan Yahaya, Malaysia’s ambassador to Cuba, said, “Cuba
is keen to have Malaysia as a partner in developing biotechnology”.
Two Malaysian companies – Bioven Sdn Bhd and Danpro
Sdn Bhd – will link up with Cuba’s Centre for
Molecular Immunology which is undertaking clinical trials
for anti-cancer vaccines. “The production of anti-cancer
vaccine will be a breakthrough for the companies if they
succeed with the help of Cuban researcher institutes,”
said Kamal.
On
a related local front, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah
Ahmad Badawi said Malaysia and Cuba should strengthen
bilateral co-operation in biotechnology, biomedicine
and agricultural research and development. Several agreements
on biotechnology and vaccine production were signed between
Cuban institutes and Malaysian companies during the Prime
Minister’s visit to Cuba. “Malaysia and Cuba
must focus on each other’s strengths to make overall
cooperation mutually beneficial,” Abdullah said.
Medical
& Health
An HIV test kit was launched last month. This seventh-generation
kit, HV7, which boasts a 99.8% accuracy rate, is able
to screen and detect both HIV-1 and HIV-2 antibodies.
It could yield results between three to five minutes compared
with the five to 15 minutes for other kits.
On a related story, it is expected that a 3-in1
generic anti-retroviral drug (AVR) will be available
free for HIV/AIDS patients once local production of the
drug is approved by next year. “Once the drug is
produced locally, the therapy will cost a patient RM188
a month and the Government would be able to fully subsidize
the cost,” Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek
said.
Trade
& Policy
Recycling
oil palm waste is a business that has plenty of untapped
potential but Ecofuture Sdn Bhd has found way
to extract value from plantation detritus. The company,
which is involved in the processing and recycling of biomass
by-products, is looking for a Mesdaq listing by year-end.
It is looking to raise about RM10.9 million from the listing
exercise, and the company says it will spend about RM6 million
on a packaging material manufacturing plant in Segamat,
Johor Baru, slated to be built early next year.
Managing
director, Dr Mohamad Hashim Tajudin said plans were already
in place to expand the pharmaceuticals business, which is
expected to contribute strongly to earnings in the near
future. Hashim said the company had started on an RM50mil
expansion of its pharmaceuticals factory, Upha Pharmaceuticals
in Bangi, to be completed by 2006 and fully operational
by 2007. “With the expansion, we hope to increase
the capacity by 50%,” he added.
