Great research is Make Inclusive nothing if not shared Innovation a way of life Minister Of Agriculture, Message from the Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Director General of message: MARDI, Dato’ Dr Sharif Haron Pg2 Pg2

1 st Edition MARDI2014

March 2014 Vol: 001

KDN:PP17330/03/2014

Nanocomposite tray from agrowaste for Aerob rice, a key serving food to Malaysia’s food Pg3 Weedy rice problem solved security Pg4

Ground breaking method of identifying raw and “Aerobic rice is a potential processed meat water saving rice Pg4 production system and will be the best option of Musseling into producing rice in water aquaculture scarce environments” Pg9

By Dr Sariam and industrial uses is likely to receive priority observed when rice was grown under drier condi- over irrigation, causing less water to be made tions than from flooded rice. he possibility of declining water avail- available for agriculture and force farmers to Increased growth, higher dry matter produc- ability in the future is a key threat to use less water in rice production. tion and yield of rice under flooded conditions Dukung anak proven Malaysia’s food security, which mainly The declining water availability for irrigated have been attributed to increased nutrient avail- as potential cancer relies on irrigated lowland rice produc- rice production may change the way rice is pro- ability due to physical, chemical and biological cure Ttion system which consumes large amounts of duced in the future. Among the more promising reactions in soils. water. rice production systems that can adapt to water Rice production under saturated soil condi- The current system irrigates rice fields with scarcity in rice production is alternate wetting tions is an alternative to alleviate the problem Pg11 1,200 – 2,000 milimetres of water, which is more and drying, saturated soil conditions, aerobic of water shortage in irrigated lowlands with than the actual field and crop requirements. rice and improved hill paddy production systems. proper irrigation infrastructures. Rice grown The reasons for this expected decline in water All water-saving rice production systems under saturated soil conditions reduced water resource are diverse and location-specific. They use less water and expose rice fields to periods input between 14 and 22% and this represents include decreasing quality, decreasing resources, without standing water. increased water productivity when compared In brief and increased competition from other sectors. Yield and productivity were comparable with flooded rice. Trimble rolls out crop- scouting drone The increased demand of water for domestic under saturated conditions but lower yield was More page 3 Officials with Trimble announced this week they’re introducing a drone system for aerial imagery for scouting for pests, weed pressures, and nutrient deficiencies. Durian goes international - Agriculture.com urian is not something that we immedi- seas markets is quite remarkable, considering Your Farm in the Future: ately see as a star on the international that the fruit emits very strong odour and is Future seeds Dfruit market but the king of fruits is even prohibited in Malaysian hotels. Specialised Biotech researchers promise that slowly making its mark on the world, thanks to packaging has been developed to allow for air every three to five years we may its increasing popularity among mainland and transportation without disrupting passenger expectnext-version herbicide overseas Chinese. comfort. tolerance, insect resistance, and drought tolerance (at least in Singapore remains the biggest market for Air transport is key to the durian export corn). Malaysian durians, importing RM25.5 million market because the fruit does not travel well, – Agriculture.com in 2012, followed by Hong Kong which bought having detached itself from the tree fully ripened Urine-to-Fertilizer over RM2 million of the thorny delight and the and has a tendency to deteriorate within a few Campaign Launches in third biggest market is mainland China which days. Amsterdam consumed RM1.5 million worth of the fruit. The high premium that durian commands Indonesia and Australia follow closely behind among foodies makes it possible to use the best Sewage is rarely thought of as these key export markets and these are markets methods for packaging and transport to ensure a valuable resource, but the Green Urine campaign aims to with large overseas Chinese populations. that it can reach the market in a palatable state. change that–by utilizing urine for In the new millennium, durian has become Durian’s reluctance to travel has resulted in a phosphate fertilizer and raising an exotic culinary experience with wealthy fans unique situation where wealthy enthusiasts make awareness of its benefits. flying into Malaysia and Singapore specially to it fresh and also fermented it for use as a cooking special trips to Malaysia just to ensure that they - Triple Pundit enjoy the best fruits at their prime. ingredient. can enjoy the fruit at its best. Aquaponics a growing This rise in export is in tandem with the in- Export of durians for consumption is limited A more concerted marketing campaign for trend in urban agriculture creasing popularity of durians among Malaysian to fresh fruit and this has been made possible by the king of fruits, building food tour packages Chinese and this has led to a revival of the crop research done by the Malaysian Agricultural around the durian season, can be explored as Non-root vegetables, like tomatoes, cucumber and lettuce, which was slowly losing popularity in the 1990s. Research and Development Institute (MARDI) a way of encouraging durian consumption and can thrive in an aquaponic Before the decline, demand for durians came which has created some of the popular varieties ensuring positive experience of the fruit. system, while edible fish, like mostly from the indigenous Malay consumers in the market. tilapia, can be raised to be eaten who were familiar with the fruit and consumed The increasing popularity of durians in over- in the same setup. More page 6-7 - CBC News 2 March 2014 VIEW POINT Great research is nothing if not shared Minister Of Agriculture, Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri message:

he Malaysian Agriculture means working hard under the hot Research and Development sun for relatively modest economic TInstitute or MARDI is known reward. among research organisations around If the younger generation persists the world for its achievement and the with this perception and refuses to numerous awards and recognition take the mantle of the agriculture that it brings home for Malaysia but “Scientists, sector, the country’s food security in great research is nothing if it is not the future is at risk. shared. researchers and This is why the Ministry of For all the good work that is done technologists Agriculture has adopted as its main by MARDI, many are still not fully agenda, attracting the younger gen- aware what this fine organization at MARDI must eration to get involved in the industry has to offer. by creating Young Agroproneur Unit Sharing the result of successful see themselves to facilitate the need of the young research is not just a logical next as guardians farmers. step, it is MARDI’s Corporate Social The Young Agroproneur Council Responsibility, the Government funds of the nation’s which comprises successful agricul- research in order to allow the people ture entrepreneurs and several Non- to reap the economic benefits of being future” Governmental Organisations has ahead of the competition. had a few meetings and is currently Perhaps MARDI is cautious setting the agenda of attracting more about blowing its own trumpet and Malaysians to take part in agriculture we understand that but in today’s fast as a vocation of choice. changing world, we cannot afford to The MOA is serious in this allow good new techniques and knowl- When tabling the 2014 Budget, ing and start thinking about ways to tion and improvement into Malaysian mission and we have instructed all edge to sit in a cabinet gathering dust our Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib bring Malaysian agriculture into the agriculture. agencies to help and this includes and becoming out of date before it is Abdul Razak made it clear that wants 21st century. Once farmers, livestock breeders offering loan facilities to help new even commercialised. farmers, livestock breeders and fish- This is crucial if we want to and fishermen know what new ideas AgroPreneurs to set up their patch. I would like to see MARDI take ermen has to be more innovative and improve our agriculture yields and and technology they can extract from Agriculture transformation must on the role of educating the public progressive to boost income and their fulfill everyone’s wish for food se- MARDI, they will keep coming back start now and it must start with a about what kinds of new research standard of living. curity through self-sustenance. As for more as they realize how inno- change of attitude and a willingness development results can be taken Our farmers and breeders need to we progress, demand for food will vation can lead to improvements in to accept new technology and working to market. A nationwide roadshow reexamine their old ways and meth- increase and Malaysians become yields and therefore their income and together to make agriculture once certainly would not go amiss in this odologies and unshackle themselves more affluent and together with a competitiveness. again become the main industry for situation. from conventional and static think- growing population that recently Agencies like MARDI should be this country! hit the 30 million more aggressive helping this group In closing I would like to con- mark, can we afford to produce more at a lower and more gratulate MARDI coming out with to remain in our sustainable cost through optimum this newsletter which can play an comfort zones. application of resources. invaluable role in sharing with all EDITORIAL Scientists, re- Since taking over this ministry a stakeholders including the com- searchers and tech- year ago, one of our main concerns is mercial sector, the various research Dear Friends of MARDI , nologists at MARDI the fact that the agriculture sector is success that is just waiting to be taken must see themselves monopolised by the older generation to market. Welcome to the First Issue of the ‘SCIEN- as guardians of the due to the widespread negative percep- I sincerely hope Scientia can TIA, MARDI `s R&D newsletter. We provide nation’s future and tion of the industry. become a beacon for other research bimonthly updates on R&D activities and you can only fulfill Partly, this has to do with the tra- agencies in sharing their work and share featured articles on diverse issues of this role by injecting ditional farming methods which are making Malaysia a developed country interest in agriculture and Agro food policy. the spirit of innova- still widely practiced and this usually by 2020. At MARDI, we are dedicated to contribut- ing to the success of our customers, stake- holders and valued and trusted partners. We want to work in closer partnership with our clients and stakeholders. We have revised our approach to planning Make Inclusive and delivering stakeholder engagement and this newsletter will deliver some or all of the required information as suggested . Innovation a way of A central component of the newsletter is Editor In Chief a roundup of details of scientific events and • Datuk Sharif Haron research activities concerning food, agricul- life (Director General Mardi) ture and related fields. This first issue of SCIENTIA outlines the Message from the Director General Advisors Editorial Team scientific breakthroughs and events recently organized and introduces other initiatives and • Dr Mohamad Roff Mohd Noor of MARDI, Dato’ Dr Sharif Haron (MARDI Strategic Planning and events to be held in the coming period. Inovation Management Division) A relevant section is the featured articles nnovation is crucial written by MARDI’s scientists and fellow per- • Ramlah Md Isa towards achieving a high- (Director Technical Service Centre sonnel from the Ministry of Agriculture & Agro income, high productivity (TS)) based Industry which highlights key initiatives I economy that will propel the • Ainu Husna MS Suhaimi and new technology that has been developed. country towards a developed (Deputy Director International The continuous nature of our R&D activities Relations and Strategic and the need to maintain momentum ambition status. Networking Program, Corporate and enthusiasm is a significant challenge to Inclusive innovation will Communication, International & include R&D in interdisciplin- Quality Division) all of us in MARDI. It is also our great pleasure to remind you ary studies that will result in • Maheswary N Vellupilai creation of practical designs (MARDI Senior Research officer) that major events such as MAHA (Malaysian Agriculture, Horticulture and Agro tourism and artefacts and business

Showcase), the foremost trade show for ag- models and services, pro- Copy Writer riculture in Malaysia, will be held at MAEPS cesses or products that can be • Shamsul Bahari Mohd Yunos from 20 – 30th November. seen as practical innovative The future success of our Newsletter solutions to market or societal Designer depends on your comments, contributions problems that create a better • Sham Hosni and ideas! We do encourage all of you to help future. improve SCIENTIA so that it serves your needs This approach will consid- as researchers and those of the market which Art Director er the interaction of humans will commercialise MARDI’s research efforts. • Spice Communications Sdn Bhd and physical environment We look forward to better serve the need throughout each step of the in- tion increasingly flows from support new possibilities. for information exchange throughout the food novation creation value chain individuals who are uncon- Inclusive innovation For enquiries, please contact and agriculture community. We hope you which will sometime result strained by set cultures or studies will focus on inclusive Scientia MARDI will find this a useful update on our activities unplanned and unforeseen organizations and deeply solutions that are relevant to MARDI Headquarters, and would like to thank everyone who has new inventions and capabili- committed to changing the building Malaysia’s future by supported this edition by providing useful Persiaran MARDI-UPM, ties for a better future. world around them for the creating and an environment information. 43400 Serdang Selangor, Open innovation models better. that rewards risk taking in Tel : 603-89437111 that embrace the innovation The fuel to innovate is an unfettered environment We hope you enjoy this INAUGURAL Issue Faks : 603-89843664 solution’s ecosystem yield created when these kinds allowing for radical, un- and welcome feedbacks to ensure we serve Email : [email protected] you better. distinctive, relevant ideas of people, with their vast orthodox approaches with the with both the commercial expertise,life experience, potential to disrupt – a risk DATO DR SHARIFF HARUN and social development pos- passion and ideas, comet that is generally to costly for DIRECTOR GENERAL MARDI sibilities. together with free reign and existing businesses or govern- The source of innova- in an environment poised to ments to take. March 2014 3 TECHNOLOGY

Aerob rice, a key to Managing Malaysia’s food security post-harvest From page 1 various measures such as timely irrigation and coordination of irrigation with fertilization and Nitrogen fertilizer requirement was about weed control. 18 – 26% lower for rice grown under saturated A well-leveled field, field and in-field ditches losses soils than flooded rice due to better nitrogen to facilitate irrigation and more intensive land fertilizer utilization. preparation are some of the pre-requisites for At the same time, the saturated soil condi- successful rice production in saturated soil By: Dr. Rosa Roelle tions will minimize golden apple snails (Pomacea conditions. Senior Agro-Industries and Post- canaliculata) infestation since the presence of Aerobic rice cultivation is another alternative harvest Officer, FAO Regional Office standing water in the field causes snail infestation for producing rice in water scarce environment. for Asia and the Pacific, Bangkok to spread rapidly. To make aerobic rice cultivation successful, the Aerobic rice is a potential water saving rice availability of aerobic rice varieties is crucial. production system and will be the best option of The aerobic rice varieties grown must be “South and South-East Asia producing rice in water scarce environments. able to withstand aerobic condition, responds to contributes 23% of total The availability of aerobic rice varieties that irrigation and fertilizers, competitive against world food waste, making can withstand aerobic conditions, respond well weeds and deliver a high yield. us the second largest to irrigation and fertilizers, compete against Since weeds are major constraints to aerobic contributor to the total after further exacerbated by the increasing af- weeds and deliver high yield, is crucial to making rice, it must be effectively controlled through industrialised Asia” fluence of the region which is now causing aerobic rice cultivation successful. integrated weed management. Management and ost harvest losses account for the more food waste to be generated at the Yield of aerobic rice is generally lower than options to improve the early growth of aerobic majority of food loss in developing dining table. flooded rice especially when grown continuously rice in order to make the crop more competitive Pcountries in Asia and the Pacific South and South-East Asia contributes for several seasons, mainly due to irregular with weeds are essential. region and the levels of losses are highest 23% of total world food waste, making us water availability, weed infestation and nutri- In addition, appropriate nutrient and other in the traditional chains that supply mass the second largest contributor to the total ent stresses, and a combination of these factors. crop management practices will ensure success- markets in the region. after industrialised Asia. Since weeds are major constraints to aerobic ful aerobic rice production system. Among the biggest contributors to post The issues to be addressed in the effort rice, it must be effectively controlled through The development of rice production technol- harvest losses are post-harvest diseases, to reduce food waste are many and key integrated weed management. ogy in water scarce environment will increase pest infestation, poor bulk packaging, poor among them are raising awareness and Management and options to improve the early rice production and ensure that national rice transportation practices and the human advocacy to change consumer and stake- growth of aerobic rice in order to make the crop production and the Self-Sufficiency Level (SSL) factor. holder attitudes to food loss and food waste. more competitive with weeds are essential. In in rice will not be affected by the water scarcity With increasing population and The development of post-harvest loss addition, appropriate nutrient and other crop due to climate change. more competitive demand for land and reduction strategies for the region is management practices will ensure a successful agriculture space, unchecked food losses another important step and this can be aerobic rice production system. Amount of either through consumer wastage or achieved through capacity building of Component water saved post-harvest losses have the potential for stakeholders in food supply chains. Conclusion causing nutrition deficiency in the region A policy that promotes the environ- (mm) in the future. ment for post-harvest development in the The impact of possible future water shortage Land preparation (no Production oriented traditional supply region should be in place with investments on national rice production may be mitigated or 190 chains with weak marketing orientation in infrastructure to support post harvest overcome completely if rice can be grown with puddling) and fragmented production units tend technologies. minimum water under saturated and aerobic Seepage and percolation 250 to limit the use of the latest post-harvest The Food and Agriculture Organisa- soil conditions. (no standing water) technologies and this lead to higher tion (FAO) of the United Nations recently The two rice production systems mentioned post production losses due to the higher launched the Save Food Asia and the however need different management system from Evaporation of surface 80 number of layers of handlers between Pacific Campaign as part of their Global the normal flooded rice in order to produce good water production and consumption. Initiative on Food Loss and Food Waste rice yield. Traditional farmers and distribution Reduction : Save Food. Growing irrigated rice under saturated condi- Transpiration 25 chains have limited knowledge of modern The regional campaign is aimed at tions offers great water-saving potential for rice Total 545 post-harvest technologies and this coupled raising awareness and draw attention cultivation in Malaysia and may play a key role with minimal institutional support for to the high levels of food losses and the in ensuring the sustainability of irrigated rice Source: Chan,C.S. (2013) technology improvement is perpetuating growing problem of food waste and their production. the situation. impacts across Asia and the Pacific Reduction in yield for rice grown under satu- •Amount of water saved from aerobic rice The rate of food waste increase is Region. rated conditions, if any, can be avoided through production system Nanocomposite tray from agrowaste for serving food biocomposites are rice straw and them more commercially impor- industry and they can be easily packaging. By: H. Azman and A.K. Faewati rice husks that come from paddy tant today. replaced with biodegradable These new materials have Mechanisation and Automation harvesting, pineapple leaf fibre This innovatif agrowaste agrowaste nanocomposite mate- great commercial potential for Research Centre, MARDI from pineapple harvesting and product offers nanoclay strength rials. the manufacture of food trays and kenaf fibre from new commodity. from biodegradable materials that Apart from reducing polysty- reduce the health effect on consum- Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia A small quantity of nanoclay decompose naturally over a short rene use, migration to the environ- ers through leachate of harmful is incorporated as a reinforcement period of time. ment can reduce environmental substances into food that is packed to improve the properties of the These degradable materials are pollution (open burning) while in polystyrene containers. ecycling is an important way nanocomposite. very useful to the environment as allowing farmers to reduce man The production process of of reducing our consump- The growing urgency to use it eliminates migration of styrene power and cost of managing the nanocomposite food trays is rela- Rtion of natural resources environmentally friendly or ‘green monomer from polystyrene into agriculture waste. tively simple and requires prior and one of the ways is by re-using materials’ with the aim of replac- food. However, the change from poly- drying of the agrowaste materi- biological fibre and biopolymers ing non-degradable materials The impact of using this styrene to agrowaste nanocompos- als before shredding and further from agrowaste and converting and reducing the environmental product is very high as environ- ite may require the government to grinding. They can then be mixed them into natural biocomposites. pollution that results from large mentally harmful polystyrene is enhance consumer awareness on before final extrusion or forming Examples of these natural amounts of plastic waste, has made prevalent in the food packaging environment friendly material for through a hot-press process. Agrowaste Product PROCESSING

Drying Shredding Grinding Mixing Compounding Shredding Extrusion Hot press 4 March 2014 TECHNOLOGY Weedy rice problem solved: MARDI-BASF development of Iimidazolinone-tolerant rice variety shows great promise

Imidazolinone is a known herbi- for the imidazolinone tolerant OnDutyTM herbicide together with the quality of harvest and reduc- By: Dr. Azmi Man, Azlan Shaari, cide that is capable of dealing with varieties. a Stewardship Guide developed by ing weedy rice dockages; Hazim Khalid, Chew See Eng weedy rice but it could not be used MARDI Seberang Perai became MARDI and BASF. The certified • Reduce the amount of herbicides (MARDI) & Lim Fung Woei and directly on Malaysia’s direct - seeded home for the project and by the off- seeds are available in the standard released into the environment. George Varghesse (BASF) fields. There was a need to integrate season of 2007, five potential imidaz- 20 kg bags that farmers usually buy The excellent pre-emergence the herbicide with a variety of rice olinone tolerant lines were selected and are familiar with. activity of OnDutyTM allows delay in that is tolerant of the chemical. for purification and evaluation for The herbicide is packed in a box flooding. The delay in water supply A programme was initiated yield, agronomic performance, with 4 sachets of 31 g/sachet. The also inadvertently reduces Golden by the MARDI and chemical giant resistance against major pests and seed rate is at 140 kg/ha where in Apple Snail damage in rice fields BASF (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd. in 2003 diseases as well as physical and the main granary area of MADA in where the snails remain inactive to create a solution to this problem chemical properties of the grain. Kedah, two bags (2 x 20 kg) per relong under saturated field condition. and funded by BASF, Phase 2: The lines were further Kedah (3.5 relong Kedah = 1 ha) is Current and normal agro- evaluated in the main season of used which is the common seed rate nomic practices used by farmers 2007/08, from which two lines, practiced by farmers. are sufficient for the application of The commercialization was MR220CL1 and MR220CL2, were The OnDutyTM rate is at 217 g/ Clearfield® Production System. carried out in two phases. identified as the most suitable for ha (7 sachets) whereby in Kedah two testing and further evaluation. sachets (2 x 31 g) per relong Kedah is Phase 1 (2003 - 2007) involved the They were promoted in off applied. The certified seeds and On- Economic Impact transfer of imidazolinone tolerant season 2008 for further evaluation DutyTM is sold together as a package. gene to the local high yielding variet- under large plot testing in FELCRA Studies have shown that ies and initial line selection. Phase Seberang Perak rice granary and Clearfield plots yielded 2.5 t/ha more 2 continued with line stabilisation MADA District IV, Kedah. The Benefits of the Clearfield than conventional plots; correspond- and varietal evaluation until 2009. introduction of these varieties is Production System ingly net income was higher by more This solution should also com- justified by the need to offer a new than RM2,700/ha. pliment current control practices efficient and innovative alternative From the results and experience In FELCRA Seberang Perak such as water seeding culture, and method to manage weedy rice in in trials carried out at various loca- rice granary, Clearfield Production most important of all, to give high direct-seeded culture in Malaysia. tions in Malaysia from 2003 to 2010, System has given a good impact on returns. In order to achieve this The combination of imid- the following substantial benefits rice production where this system goal, the objectives were defined as azolinone tolerant varieties with were observed: was first introduced in 2010. During follows: imidazolinone herbicides by BASF • Clearfield Production System for season 1/2010, only 50 ha of rice fields • To conduct a series of back- known as OnDutyTM is known as the rice is cost effective; whereby an used Clearfield Production System crosses to transfer the herbicide Clearfield® Production System. The additional RM250 expenditure which gradually increased from tolerant gene (PWC-16) from the Clearfield system was launched on in weeding cost gives an addi- season to season until about half of donor parent to the Malaysian 8th July 2010 at FELCRA Seberang tional yield increase of more the whole area (60%) adopted this EEDY Rice (Padi Angin) elite rice varieties; Perak. than 1 t/ha; technology in season 1/2013. is a form of weed that • To evaluate and select elite Ma- This new system proved effective • Early and effective control of Rice yield production gradually can cause total loss of laysian imidazolinone tolerant in controlling weedy rice infesta- weedy rice will prevent any early increased from season to season rice yield when the in- rice varieties for agronomic tion where no other herbicides or competition of weedy rice which and in season 1/2013, an average Wfestation is very serious and because performance, chemical and system can control in direct-seeding will cause losses and damage to rice yield of 7.02 t/ha was achieved, it is so similar to cultivated rice, physical properties as well as culture. the wet sown rice crop; the highest yield in the history there is no herbicide that is effective resistance to pest and diseases; The system consists of • Reduce contamination from of FELCRA Seberang Perak rice against this weed. • To develop a stewardship guide Clearfield® certified seeds and weedy rice, thereby improving granary. Malaysian innovation: Ground breaking method of identifying raw and processed meat

at one stage or another, either through cooking, for identifying and determining animal fats supporting the global processed food market by BY: Haslina H., Keely B.J., Faridatul A.M.N., baking, broiling, toasting, roasting, canning, belonging to different animal species. providing improved consumer confidence that Raja Arief Deli R.N., Noorhapizah N. concentrating, pasteurising, drying or frying From the principal component analysis any form of adulteration can be clearly detected. Food & Agricultural Analysis Laboratory, to modify its flavour or texture and to improve (PCA) plot, it is concluded that the meat prod- This is very important for the groups of Veg- Technical Services Centre, MARDI its’ storage ability. ucts of different species (beef, pork, chicken and etarians, Muslims, Koshers, Hindus and other & Department of Chemistry, The University The adulteration with pure fat and oil with lamb) cooked by microwave, roasting, hotpot consumers that are particular about their diet. of York, Heslington, UK different/other animal species is difficult to and currying are separated and grouped well This latest technology will also enhance detect using current technology. according to the species (Figure 1). the capability of enforcement and regulatory Our invention works on the basis of identify- Fractionation of TAGs confirms that the agencies and departments and assist quality “The existing ing animal species in raw and thermally pro- discrimination of meat from different animal control and quality assurance departments of technologies have a cessed/cooked conditions based on molecular species is possible for both raw and cooked food manufacturers. limitation on processed levels of animal fats. meat products, and reveals that the differences In general, this technology has potential food that has been The invention involves the fractionation of produced by the various processing methods to support the global value of the halal market heated in the production triacylglycerols (TAGs) on analytical instru- are much less than the variations observed processed food which is about USD2 - 2.5 trillion mentation and the profiles are analysed by between species. annually and socially, assisting about 2 billion process and also in pure chemometrics to reveal the differences between This invention has the potential of better Muslims worldwide. fat-based products.” animal species. The results remain reliable even when analysing processed products. dentifying animal species in food is not only This is an entirely a new approach for Figure 1 critical for the determination of Halal food animal species identification as TAGs from but it is also important in enforcing the Food animal fat have not been completely resolved Labelling Regulations. Mixing undeclared elsewhere. Ianimal species in food products is illegal under Using TAGs as an analyte, which is stable Food Labelling Regulations. at high temperature, offers clear and distinct Apart from regulatory reasons, the inclu- advantages in determining animal species in sion of less desirable animal meat in a food heat processed food products. product can have economic, health, food safety The fact that almost 96% of animal fats and religious implications to the consumers and contain TAGs makes it the perfect analyte for we are all consumers. detecting any form of adulteration with fat and Several methods have been developed to oil from undeclared animal species in the food identify meat species including electrophore- products. Fractionation of TAGs overcomes the sis, chromatography, DNA hybridization and limitation of the existing technologies. immunoassays. Immunological techniques, The fractionation process which can identify including agar-gel immunodiffusion (AGID) and mammalian, avian and poultry meat sources, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), even in processed/cooked products, is performed are most commonly applied for meat species using a reverse phase high performance liquid identification. chromatography (RP-HPLC) coupled with an The existing technologies have a limitation atmospheric pressure chemical ionisation mass on processed food that has been heated in the spectrometry (RP-HPLC/MS-APCI) and an ion production process and also in pure fat-based trap mass spectrometer. products. To overcome the difficulties in attempting This limitation is critical because most foods to detect adulterants that have approximately consumed in developed countries have been the same chemical composition as the original Figure 1. PCA scores plot of TAGs for raw and processed meat products subjected to varying degrees of heat treatment food product, chemometrics analysis is used of• pork, chicken, beef and lamb March 2014 5 COLLABORATION ACI-MARDI- MARDI in the lens SAAS smart fertilizer collaboration profit research organization of ag- By: Wan Azha Wan Mustafa, ricultural sciences and technology All Cosmos directly subordinate to Shandong Provincial Government with a history of 110 years. Its Headquarter “With its green is located at No.202 Gongyebei Road, technology Jinan 250100, Shandong, P.R.China. attributes, MARDI, ACI & SAAS, set China to be the prime in agriculture bacteriophage research and development (R&D) is able to activities in the country from three replace chemical giant. The trio signed an extension pesticides. It can project on the R&D of edible fungus be produced at a cultivation, bacteriophage. The bac- teriophage technology uses microbe relatively low cost, virus to infect and kill the is environmental disease causing bacteria. This can friendly, non- be applied as a biocide in agriculture hazardous and has and forestry and help to reduce food the potential to safety risks and loss suffered by farmers due to bacteria outbreaks. increase agriculture A number of successful trials of exports and forest phage-based bio pesticide from 3 in farming produce in 1 bio- fertilizer for controlling bacte- Malaysia.” rial wilt disease in fruit like tomato, chilies & dragon fruit were done. griculture industry is one The MoU were signed by chair- Yang Dipertua Negeri Sarawak, His Excellency Tun Datuk Patinggi Abang Haji Muhammad that is growing at an ever- man of the board of directors of ACI, Salahuddin• sucking Stingless Bee Honey directly from the beehive during his visit to Langkawi. Asteady pace throughout the Dato’ Tony Peng Shih Hao, SAAS world. While Malaysian agriculture was represented by its director and continues to enjoy positive demand deputy head, Professor Guo, Director in traditional markets, growth this General of MARDI, Dato’ Dr Sharif year is expected to be gradual as it Haron and witnessed by the Minister would depend on the purchasing of Agriculture & Agro-based Indus- power of consuming countries, try Malaysia, YB Dato’ Sri Ismail their gross domestic product (GDP) Sabri Bin Yaakob and Secretary growth, population increase and new General Ministry of Agriculture Seed management: markets. & Agro-based Industry Malaysia, However, number of wilt disease, YBhg. Datuk Mohd. Hashim Bin Key to the future of agriculture in the absence of any effective treat- Abdullah. ment, would most likely result in With its green technology at- ithout seeds there can in our food and commercials ated by Government agencies. decreased property values. The tributes, bacteriophage is able to be no agriculture and crops may have yet untold con- New entrants should be treated disease could destroy the entire in- replace chemical pesticides. It can W within the culture sequences on the environment as an equal and where possible, dustry and a biological practice will be produced at a relatively low cost, of modern agriculture, a well and our own existence. open access or lease of existing be an effective method in controlling is environmental friendly, non- defined seed policy can make the One of the key to future processing facilities should be from further scattering. hazardous and has the potential to difference between prosperity agriculture success lies in considered. Malaysia`s perspective in increase agriculture exports and and decimation. promoting new diversity and State-operated agricultural sustainable development requires forest farming produce in Malaysia. Seeds are one of research agencies are balancing these competing demands The enterprises will indirectly the six pillars for food essentially gatekeepers to make the best use of our natural support the current efforts made production especially to diversity and in many resources. by ACI & MARDI in expanding for staple food crops of cases they promote very ALL COSMOS INDUSTRIES the country’s food safety programs the annual cropping few varieties in order to SDN. BHD. (ACI), a pioneer in bio- through several research projects types. Seeds are also achieve their Key Per- fertilizers, is a 100% subsidiary of that have been initiated, among one of the means of es- formance Indicators. All Cosmos Bio Tech Holding. All them the increase in rice produc- tablishing a new crop However, a successful Cosmos is a Malaysian manufac- tion, industrial competitiveness, each season and they seed policy must have a turer and marketer of high grade improving competencies in the determine the genetic mechanism that allows bio-organic and bio-chemical fertil- poultry industry, and also higher potential of the crop for more varieties to be izers. They make every effort to be productivity and greater sustain- that is grown on a par- made available to the the innovative driving force in the ability of the agriculture industry. ticular location. market. biotechnology industry whilst aiding These initiatives will be funded Seeds also provide There are various to improve the country’s ecological by the long term research grant the vehicle to transfer ways in which this status. scheme. The research collaboration new genotypes (vari- can be done, such as MALAYSIAN AGRICUL- also benefits joint training of staff eties) from research by offering licences to TURAL RESEARCH & DEVEL- and researchers of China & Malay- institutions into the multiply new varieties. OPMENT INSTITUTE (MARDI) sia, knowledge exchange as well as farming community. Public sector breed- is given the multifaceted issues co-publishing of SMART Fertilizer Despite this funda- ing can be the stimulus and components of the agriculture (disease control). mental role in crop for the emergence of a system, research in sustainable The methodology of escalation production, seeds also new seed industry and agriculture will incorporate R&D the country’s agricultural sector to have some special at- in order to successfully projects from multiple disciplines the next level was to invest in high- tributes arising from assume this role, they - from science and engineering, to technology R&D activities to spur their biological proper- must obtain new variet- social science and design, and from its development and ensure its sus- ties, which make them ies of seeds to strength- field to consumer acceptance as the tainability. The development in the a difficult product to en their portfolio. final usage. agricultural sector could help the handle. However, an equi- SHANDONG ACADEMY OF country reduce its dependency on This is not only a result of replacing the uniformity that table policy for accessing these AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES importing food and save on foreign physiology and genetics, which has prevailed and dominated the varieties must be devised and, (SAAS), a comprehensive, non- exchange flows. are of general application, but industry and this is something in the context of plant variety there are also strong economic that can be achieved through protection, a royalty payment and policy dimensions that are a well thought out seed policy. may also be expected. specific to crops, countries and The success of a seed policy Regional cooperation regions. will be reflected in the number between national research Modern agriculture relies of varieties that are available agencies should be an important on a few chosen species being to market. It is important for dimension in the Asean seed grown on large scale farms Governments to encourage the policy. For this reason, coopera- almost to the exclusion of less entrant of new players in the tion in variety testing would be popular crops or variations of seed industry to ensure diver- a step forward. a crop. Obviously this practice sity rather than promoting more An effective seed policy is is not conducive for enhancing of the same. not just about preserving bio- biodiversity. The reality in Asean is that diversity and providing variety Biodiversity is accepted as agricultural research and the to the market, it actually plays one of the reasons why life has seed industry is mostly still in a key role in ensuring food flourished on earth and persis- Government hands and most of security for the region, if not tent suppression of biodiversity the existing facilities are oper- individual countries. 6 March 2014 SCIENTIA Diversity of Malaysian durian: Have you spotted any of them?

By: H. Azman, A.K. Faewati Durian season in various states of Malaysia Mechanisation and Automation Research Centre, MARDI State Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia Johor Kedah urian is well known in South East Asia but even as late as the end of Kelantan the last century, it was popular only Melaka among the Malays who cultivated Dthe fruit for their own consumption. Ng. Sembilan There are 29 species which have been identified and they are believed to originate Pahang from Malaysia but is now widely distributed throughout Asia from Sri Lanka to Myanmar, Perak Thailand, Borneo, Indonesia, the Philippines Perlis and Madagascar. In Malaysia, 24 species have been identified andDurio zibethinus is the Pulau Pinang main cultivated species. The durian flowering season varies from Sabah state to state but it peaks in July and August. Perak enjoys two peak seasons and Pahang Sarawak appears to be capable of continuous produc- Selangor tion except in April, May and June . Durian fruits fall once ripened and de- Terengganu pending on the varieties, this occurs 117 to 145 days after flower initiation. Source: FAMA (2005) Commercially there are 5 varieties that make up most of the market and they are all tolerance to Phytophthora stem canker. It’s maximum productivity is between 10 to consistency in fruiting with ‘off season’ clones or hybrids. These include D2, D24, The fruits are medium to large ranging and 15 years. The fruits range from 1.0 - 1.8 fruiting habits and early season harvest. The D99, D145 and MDUR78, 79 and 88 hybrids. from 1.3 - 1.8 kg in weight. Although the flesh kg with thick, light yellow, firm, creamy and D99 is also a good polleniser for D24. Recently, D197 or Mousang King has become is thick and the seeds are small, D2 durians smooth flesh. The fruit flavour is described as This is a particularly a hardy clone which a favourite in the market and fetches some are hard to split open. The fruit is good, sweet and nutty with a slight bitter aftertaste. is tolerant to stem canker and drought while of the best prices. however, it is not widely grown. Care must be taken by the grower to still producing good fruits. The fruits are Traditionally, there are a few well known D24 originates from Bukit Merah in prevent and control stem canker which can small ranging from 1.0 - 1.5 kg. Despite the varieties e.g. D2 or Dato’ Nina which origi- Perak and gives a high yield between 100 cause uneven ripening where parts of the size, this is still a favourite among fans due nated from Melaka and the trees tend to be and 150 fruits/ tree/ season. It is one of the flesh remains hard (mangkar). Drought can to the thicker bright orangey-yellow flesh. medium large and erect in form. It flowers leading commercial clones in Malaysia. It also contribute to uneven ripening. Fruit flavour is classified as mild and has regularly but does not provide high yield. flowers regulary and is popular among the D99 is another popular clone originat- a fine texture. Among the advantages of this clone is its growers. ing from Thailand. It is widely planted due Durian Hijau or D145 originated from Malaysian durian species

Durio singaporensis var Durio dulcis Durio carinatus Durio pinangianus jerangauensis

Durio oblongus Durio lowianus Durio kutejensis Durio oxleyanus March 2014 7 SCIENTIA

MARDI’s clones durians “In the early 1990s MARDI sought to improve the D24 and came up with the MDUR 78, MDUR 79 and MDUR88 hybrids which offer fruit quality that is comparable to D24 but offers tolerance to MDUR 78 MDUR 79 MDUR 88 stem canker, a major problem with the original clone.”

Beserah, Pahang. The tree is medium-large in September in Brunei. and susceptible to dry conditions as well as MARDI continues to improve on the avail- stem canker. Although there is consistency in able clones through hybridisation and clonal fruiting, it is heavy bearing when in season selection with a second F1 hybrid population and the fruits are easy to split. being introduced with a wider set of parents. The aril is of medium thickness, bright This time six local and four Thai clones were yellow, fine textured and tastes sweet and used in the hybridisation. The local clones nutty with good aroma. were D24, D10, D38, D52, MDUR88 and KK11 In the early 1990s MARDI sought to while the Thai parents were D98, D99, D113 improve the D24 and came up with the MDUR and Cemposi. 78, MDUR 79 and MDUR88 hybrids which The 10 selected parents have wide genetic offer fruit quality that is comparable to D24 range due to their diverse origins and they but offers tolerance to stem canker, a major were selected for high consistent yields, good problem with the original clone. fruit quality and special characters such as These hybrid varieties also offer longer unique taste. storage life, lasting between 70 and 80 hours Based on initial fruit quality assessments, after fruit drop before they begin splitting. 13 of these hybrids showed commercial poten- Interestingly, two wild species continue tial and were put in replicated trials in Bukit to enjoy market popularity. They are Durian Tangga in October 2000, Kuala Kangsar in Kuning or Durian Otak Udang Galah, scien- July 2002 and Jelebu in November 2003. tifically identified as Durio graveolens. The Assessment continues on these hybrids. aril can come in a wide range of colours from The future of the durian industry, espe- crimson red to white and is sweet with a cheesy cially in the export market, relies on packag- texture. Some describe the taste like roasted ing technology and this is now more than Source: FAMA (2013) almonds. adequate and the previous decline in interest Durian Sukang or Durio oxleyanus grows for the fruit seems to have made a reversal. on huge trees that fruit later than D. zibethinus Further research into the potential of and D graveolens. Unlike other species which durians, especially in the development of have five locules, this species only has four processed products and enhanced global and the aril is corn yellow, smooth and sweet marketing will help it to conquer new markets with strong fragrance. The season is usually and make new friends.

Durio carinatus Durio griffithii

Durio graveolens Durio testudinarum 8 March 2014 ACHIEVEMENTS High antioxidant drink from Citrus microcarpa (‘Limau kasturi’) by-product

•KASTURI DRINK – made from calamansi by-product (Citrus microcarpa)

after 18 months of storage. Its known for their potent antioxidant quality was tested scientifically properties. It is also a substitute and underwent sensory evaluation for mangosteen which is rich in by selected panellist with overall xanthone, which is a fat soluble acceptability of 9.0. Apart from antioxidant compound, but, high •Dr. Suri and his research team that, KASTURI DRINK also intake of fat soluble antioxidant contains v itexin-2-O-rhamnoside compound may have negative which has been used as an anti- effect. With the newly developed By: Dr. Suri Roowi to counteract oxidative stress and hypertensive agent in the U.S.A. enzyme technology, phloretin-G Food Technology Research hence reduces risk for certain Description of technology Vitexin and its glycosylated forms content in developed product can Centre, MARDI. chronic diseases. exist in Cratageus oxycantha be increased. The product devel- Calamansi or ‘limau kasturi’ (hawthorn berry) is also sold oped will be at par or even better or Citrus microcarpa is a small The identification of phloretin- commercially as anti-ischaemic than any of the established antioxi- citrus fruit with loose skin and a G in calamansi was developed and cardiotonic agent. In addition, dant products in the market. This Background sweet musky smell. Although this using High Profile Liquid Chro- KASTURI DRINK contains fibre product will also benefit general citrus fruit is regularly used with matography-Mass Spectrometry from selected sources which en- public to maintain good health and he health benefits of citrus black tea and ice, to date not many technology (HPLC-MS). The anti- hances its benefit. help functional food industries to have been known for centu- studies have been done on the de- oxidant activity of phloretin-G was develop high quality drink Tries. In 1747, James Lind, a velopment of health drink from accessed using HPLC with on-line Novelty of innovativeness naval surgeon noted that crewmen calamansi. Phloretin-G is one of antioxidant assay. This technique with scurvy made a full recovery the beneficial compounds in cala- requires a radical scavenging Economic impact after eating oranges and lemons. mansi and has high Trolox Equi- compound called 2,2′-azinobis-(3- Newly discovered phloretin-G Several studies showed that citrus valent Antioxidant Ratio (TEAR) ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic in calamansi is a natural antioxi- The functional food industry, fruits appeared to be associated value at 3.4, which is higher than acid) (ABTS). The newly develop dant that can be used to develop consisting of food, beverage and with lower risk of colorectal, eso- epigallocatechin-gallate, potent KASTURI DRINK is made by high value antioxidant product supplement sectors, is one of phageal and stomach cancer as antioxidant compound in green fermenting selected parts of cala- such as KASTURI DRINK. It is several areas of food industry in well as stroke. Citrus fruits are tea. Phloretin-G is also stable mansi that contain high amount a cheaper substitute for Several Malaysia that are experiencing also associated with improved- at high temperature and high of phloretin-G that with edible types of antioxidants are being fast growth over the recent years. blood lipid profile and survival pressure. KASTURI DRINK is a microorganism. marketed in the world. to other The newly developed product of the elderly. Health benefits of newly developed high phloretin-G powerful antioxidants such as - KASTURI DRINK may be able citrus are attributed to the rich- drink (developed from calamansi KASTURI DRINK still has green tea which is a powerful anti- to substitute similar imported ness of polyphenols that are able by products. high level of phloretin-G in even oxidant in the world market, and is functional foods in Malaysia and hence will reduce import of func- tional foods. KASTURI DRINK can also serve as good alternative ACHIEVEMENTS downstream product for local 1. Gold Medal (International Invention, Innovation and Technology Exhibition (ITEX-2013) citrus industry. 2. Malaysian Innovative Product Award (International Invention, Innovation and Technology Exhibition ITEX 2103) Potential users 3. Best Invention (ITEX 2013) for Research Institutes and Organization (2013) 4. Gold Medal (Malaysian International Technology Expo - 2013) 5. Gold Medal (MARDI Science and Technology Exhibition MSTE 2012) Consumer’s interest in func- 6. Innovative Product Award (MARDI Science and Technology Exhibition- MSTE 2012) tional foods has increased since 7. Intellectual Property Right (Technology to produce High Phloretin-G drink -4 Feb. 2013, with late twentieth century as people’s the IP no. TS 2013/02/0007) interest as their awareness in 8. MARDI BEST Article published (2011)-J. Agric. Food Chem. 59(22):12217-12225 achieving and maintaining good 9. Gold Medal (BioInnovation -BioINNO-Awards)- 2013 health improved. The newly de- 10. Gold Medal (International Trade Fair ‘Ideas-Inventions-New Products’ (IENA-Germany) – 2013 veloped KASTURI DRINK may satisfy the demand of health con- scious consumers.

The first Malaysian watermelon hybrid

INVENTOR : Bahari Masaruddin, Zainal Abidin and with crisp and more juice. Idris, Mohd Rafii Yusop and Ghizan Saleh The average fruit weight is 2.8 kg and mean yield R&D TEAM : Norzila Ghazalli, Muhamad Khalid is 30 t/ha. The fruit has good quality and highly and Othman Ismail suitable for storage and transportation. This variety has moderate tolerant to fusarium wilt disease. New watermelon hybrid variety: SUPERHORT-RED BEFORE THIS HYBRID: • Farmers rely on importation of watermelon UPERHORT-RED is a first local watermelon hybrids seed hybrid variety developed by crossing inbred • Seeds cost rise every year lines ‘NDGS-21’ with’GS-10’. It is early matu- S • Most of the hybrids not well adapted in all en- rity, harvest about 30 days after flowering or 70 vironments days after transplanting. • Low yield and susceptible to major diseases SUPERHORT-RED The fruit is elongate, light green and has dark watermellon green stripes on its surface and the flesh colour is dark red. The central soluble solid content is 12%, March 2014 9 FEATURES Young Agropreneur Programme to attract new generation of farmers he National AgroFood Policy, minimum income stream of RM5,000 Offers for courses or advanced Agriculture to improve their chance By : Mohd Arif bin Adenan which aims to make Malaysia per month through special packages mentoring programme will be made for success. Manager, Young Agropreneur Tachieve Self Sustenance Level drawn up under the programme. to interested participants after the Those who have passed the Unit & National Blue Ocean of food production requires the drive All Malaywian aged between evaluation process. courses may even get land under and spirit of innovation that youth 18 and 40 can apply to take part in The Young Agropreneur an initiative to identify andmake Strategy (NBOS) can offer, but right now their partici- this innovative programme which programme comprise five compo- productive idle land owned by gov- pation in agriculture is worryingly require neither guarantor nor col- nents; Free training and mentor- ernment agencies. The ministry is low at 14 per cent. lateral. ing, friendly financing, minimum collaborating under the National The Young Agropreneur Pro- The programme is not limited income of RM5,000 per month, focus Blue Ocean Strategy to find and gramme is designed to attract to individuals, companies owned on high-value agriculture and ap- activate these lands for possible young farmers by offering by youth, co-operatives and associa- plication of modern technology. group farming. them competitive tions which have been involved in The programme covers 20 main Interested young farmers can career path agriculture are encouraged to apply. agriculture sectors. also contact any district land office a n d Application forms are available The most popular activity are for help in identifying idel land in on the Ministry of Agriculture chili and rockmelon fertigation their vicinity. website, a special facebook page leads the way with 298 young So far six projects under the ‘Unit Agropreneur Muda’, all ag- farmers registering interest. fishery sub sector is up and running riculture department offices Next up is stingless bee cultiva- as contract farms under a lead and all 12 agencies under tion with 135 registered farmers and company. In Pasir Salak 10 partici- the ministry. a clsoe second is Honey Bee cultiva- pants are taking part in Patin and The forms can be tion with 130 participants and fol- Tilapia farming in Sungai Perak. submitted to any lowed by livetock farming which has A large scale honey bee project district agricul- attracted 107 new farmers. is underway in Pekan, Pahang while ture office or Aquaculture in the form of fish stingless bee honey production is on directly to Unit cultivation has attracted 44 registra- the way in Kampung Perik, Kuala Agropreneur tions. Nerang. Muda in So far, 876 youth has registered Bera in Pahang is home to cattle Putrajaya and they are undergoing various production with 27 participants, for evalu- phases of the programme from at- this town has been named as the ation. tending courses to working on their livestock hub for the East Coast own agriculture project. Economic Region (ECER) while These farmers would undergo Johor is playing host to pineapple periodic training organised by Unit growing for young farmers on idle Agropreneur Muda, the Ministry of state government land.

Musseling into aquaculture Bivalve projected to contribute 140,000 tonnes to national aquaculture production by 2020

demands of agro-tourism, the Department of Fisher- By : Mazuki Hashim ies carried out a pilot project in early 2011 located in Department of Fisheries, Putrajaya. Telok Jawa, Johor Bahru on a newly identified mussels farming technology from Norway, the SmartFarm. The pilot project consist six on-growing units of “Mussel culture is still HDPE pipelines with attached netting materials and considered a new venture it managed to provide the aesthetic solution, as the pipelines are less visible when compared to using and still faces resistance on traditional buoys or rafts. investment because value With the expected yield of 25 tonnes per each of added activity on mussel 126 meter long line– three to four times higher than is still limited to a few existing traditional culture system, it has prompted products and the industry a private company, Hannan Seafarmer Sdn. Bhd. To invest in a commercial scale mussel farm in an area does not see the export of 10 hectares in the Straits of Johor. potential of mussels.” By February 2013 the company successfully in- stalled 51 units of Smart Farm-Units at the site and established a basic processing facility adjacent to the ussel has the potential to rival cockle as the farm with the capability for processing about 11,000 main contributor to the country’s bivalve tonnes of fresh mussel annually. Mproduction if hurdles of production technol- With export demand, especially from Singapore, ogy and marketing can be overcome. growing steadily, the company has decided to The Fisheries Department is carrying out research acquire a specialized work-boat integrated with into environmentally intensive production and har- a harvesting machine, further perfecting vesting system as well as refinement of the culture the Norwegian mussel rearing technology. techniques to ensure production of more consistent size With the above developments, the aim range to allow for improved downstream processing of the government to build up large scale and marketability of mussels. mussel farming has been met. Adoption of Best Practice, Standards and Guide- lines for mussel farming recently established in Europe and new technology for grading, handling, transporta- tion, conditioning and storage of mussles will play key roles in achieving our production targets. A major barrier to market expansion is consumer experience of gastro-enteritis after consuming shell- fish, therefore adequate measures to address the issue of contamination must also be put in place. The government, through legislation, must force the shellfish industry to adopt sanitation practices such as depuration and improve the quality of cultured shellfish. Mussel culture is still considered a new venture and still faces resistance on investment because value added activity on mussel is still limited to a few prod- ucts and the industry does not see the export potential of mussels. Finally, mussel farming does not have an envi- ronmentally friendly image, the rafts and long lines are not picturesque and not suitable to agro-tourism concepts promoted by the country. To overcome the issue of presentability and 10 March 2014 FOOD SECURITY Contract Farming: Organic Matching production with market agriculture in demand Malaysia: Moving beyond “ Under the programme, Farmers enjoy market Status Quo guarantee for crops premium prices. which conforms to By: A. Sivapragasam and Meanwhile, at the growers’ the type, variety, Mohamed Roff level, many do not have adequate CABI-SEA and MARDI knowledge on OA; pricing and quality, grade, marketing; pest and disease man- packaging and agement, difficulty in keeping production ” HE pivotal agenda for the records and to meet full criteria Malaysian organic agri- for SOM standard. Tculture (OA) sector will The high cost for certification be to maintain the momentum by foreign certification bodies is and move from the fringes into a deterrent. Finally, at the retail- the mainstream agriculture with ers’ level, many face inconsistent By: Hadiah Mohd Khairi aging and production schedule Jeram Tuli, Pasir Putih. Mean- stronger entrenched Govern- supplies and are not sure of the while in Perak Apollo Melons Senior Director Contract Farming. as specified and mutually agreed ment policy that invariably goes product authenticity. were planted in Bagan Datoh and Federal Agricultural & Marketing upon. beyond the rhetoric. On the global scene, organic The implementation of this Simpang Pulai. Malaysia’s OA sector began farming now takes up more than Authority (FAMA) programme takes into account in the 80s but despite strong 31 million hectares (Zehnder et al. all related aspects along the Program To Increase initial interests shown by various 2007, Annual Review of Entomol- atching agricultural agri-produce supply chain such private and public-sector orga- ogy) . production to market as support services, post harvest Supplies from Contract nizations, the overall growth The trend is led by the coun- M demand is not only a good facilities which include collecting Farming to the Farmers’ scenario has been one which is tries in the Oceania Region (11.8 way of reducing wastage but is centres and grading centres. Market (KUKUH) relatively slow compared to the million ha) followed by Europe also a way of improving farming In 2012 Contract Farming other countries in the Region. (6.9 million ha), Latin America returns, especially for small and Programme targeted to develop In 2012, FAMA implemented Based on the figures quoted (5.8 million ha), North America medium scale operations. 7,000 hectares of crop area and the KUKUH programme. This by the Department of Agriculture (2.2 million ha) and Asia (2.9 The Federal Agriculture involving 4,500 participants. was in line with the fifth focus of (DoA 2010), the acreage under million ha). Marketing Authority’s Contract Until the end of December the 2012 National Budget 2012- to organic agriculture has shown However, this still represents Farming Programme is a High 2012 contract farming had been cushion inflationary pressures increasing trends from 600 ha less than 1% of the total agricul- Impact Project introduced to successful in developing total and enlighten the lives of the in 2005 to about 1,540 ha in 2009. tural area of these countries. assist small and medium scale crop area of 7,128 hectares (101.8 people. This makes up of about 0.01 % of Zehnder et al. (2007) also re- agricultural entrepreneurs by percent) involving 4,219 partici- This is achieved by increasing arable land (in 2009). ported that the worldwide market providing guaranteed market pants (93.8 percent). the Contract Farming Programme The farms are small, market for organic products is estimated for their agricultural produce to ensure sufficient food supply is robust but supply is highly un- at USD28 billion (2004 statistics), and ensuring the remunerative and the produce sold directly to reliable or cautious. The products with the highest growth occur- returns. MAHA 2012 the farmers’ markets. The main are mostly vegetables and fruits ring in the United States, where objectives in the implementation This programme was also in- At MAHA Exhibition 2012, grown in a small acreage. organic sales grew by USD1.5 of this program are to: tended for matching production of FAMA through the Contract There has been pioneering billion in 2005 to reach USD12.2 agricultural produce with market Farming implemented a program initiatives in rice, oil palm, fish billion. demand to increase the income of 1. Increase the supply of veg- and poultry, however, a signifi- A steady market growth has to support Apollo Melon and Rock etables and fruits in producers. cant amount of organic products been recorded for organically Melon marketing direct from the Farmers’ Market through It also expands production of that are sold in retail shops to grown food in the past decade in farm. the concept of selling direct fruits and vegetables, ensure that hypermarkets continue to be the USA (from 17-20%) and Europe This was in line with the the produce from contract agricultural produce is of high imported. (>25%) as compared to 2-3% for tagline used in MAHA – Melons farming to farmers market; quality, meets market needs and Direct from Farm to MAHA. 2. Cushion the inflationary Like other products, consum- conventional food (Rozhan 2009). improve technology transfer along The main areas of Apollo pressure by offering reason- er demand determines the growth Health concerns have been the supply chain. Melon cultivation were in the able prices lower than of organic farming. Currently, the major driving force behind Under the programme, Royal Project Kampung Banggol, market prices; and there is generally low awareness the organic sector followed by Farmers enjoy market guarantee Kampung Teliar, Batang Merbau 3. Offer better prices to pro- of organic products especially environmental and social con- for crops which conforms to the Permanent Food Production ducers than that offered by with regards to their authenticity cerns, energy efficiency and to type, variety, quality, grade, pack- Park (Taman Kekal Penghasilan wholesalers. and thus the reluctance to pay some extent spirituality. Makanan – TKPM)) and Kampung

Traceability System developed for durian export to China

centres accredited by the Agricul- the relevant authorities in China so By: Dr. Azmi Man, Azlan Shaari, ture Quarantine Service Inspection that more fresh Malaysian fresh fruits Hazim Khalid of China – AQSIQ can be traced to can be brought into the country. MARDI source, raising market confidence in Speaking to reporters after our quality assurance. opening the Penang state level ‘Road The application of a traceability to MAHA’ programme on February “The application of a system does not only ensure quality 15, the minister said; “Currently, we traceability system does not but also enhances the integrity of han- only export frozen fruits there due to only ensure quality but also dling and processing of frozen durian the strict regulations to export fruits enhances the integrity of which is fast gaining popularity in into China”. China. Despite the increase in demand handling and processing of A process flow for traceability for Malaysian durians and papaya in frozen durian which is fast for frozen durian was developed.The China, the supply for fresh fruits are gaining popularity in China.” process involves four stages of trace- not sufficient. ability starting from the farm or Ismail said the interest from processing/ storage facility before China is very real and they had sent Traceability System has been proceeding to the domestic logistic representatives to do research and developed as an initiative of process. The third stage scrutinises inspect our fruit orchards, to see Athe Malaysian Agriculture the actual export process of transfer- whether the farmers adhere to their Department to encourage market ring the product from a Malaysian standards. confidence in the quality and safety port to the receiving port in China Apart from government nego- of food and agricultural products that and finally the tracebility system tiations and promotional efforts in we export. looks at activities that take place in China, orchard owners must also This system forms an important the importing country. improve their orchard management component of the National AgroFood This traceability system will help and adopt technology and good ag- Policy which demands traceability to fulfil Agriculture and Agro-Based ricultural practices to increase the original source of all food and agricul- Industries Minister, Dato’ Sri Ismail production of durians. tural products. Sabri Yaacob who wants to see an in- According to trade figures, Malay- The system is now accepted by crease in exports of fruits, especially sia had exported RM1.4 billion in local China and all consignments of frozen durian and papaya to China. fruits, with 30 per cent of the amount durian that is processed by processing Negotiations are being held with ending up in China. March 2014 11 COMMERCIALIZATION

Could City farming be the way of the future? Urban Horticuluture, beyond the fad and contributing towards sustainability oday, 72 per cent of Malaysians live in and private sectors involved in horticulture townships or urban areas and every year and landscape, city and community develop- T2.4 per cent of the country grows into ment authorities, housing developers and policy concrete jungles. makers. If the current projections hold true, urban Urban landscape is also equally important poverty will be a major problem and statisti- as it ensures a balanced ecosystem, improve cians predict that by the year 2020 between 40 environment and health. Both urban landscape and 45 per cent of our urban dwellers will live and urban horticulture should be developed in economic hardship. concurrently to ensure sustainability of cities. The rising cost of food is expected to use up This conference is aimed at addressing issues between 50 and 70 per cent of their income and and challenges and come out with well-planned this expenditure can be reduced by practicing strategies in initiating and developing urban urban horticulture. If their urban plot is well horticulture in Malaysian townships and cities. tended, it can even bring extra income. Several areas of discussion have been identi- Urban horticulture can ensure food security fied and one of the key areas is the latest in and give them affordable supply of healthy food urban horticulture trends and technology as for the low income group. well as on-going research and development. MARDI is keen to make urban horticulture The conference is also set to identify issues, a way of life in Malaysia and is organising challenges and approach in developing urban National Urban Horticulture Conference 2014 horticulture in Malaysian cities. from April 15 to 17. Cooperation and understanding between Although urban horticulture is new to government agencies, private sector, com- Malaysia, it has been widely practiced in munity and individuals interested in urban large cities like London, Hamburg and even horticulture and landscape is key in ensuring our neighbour, Singapore where land is scarce. success, therefore the conference will provide To develop urban horticulture in our cities, a networking session for all parties. Future concept of vertical “Dragonfly Urban Farm” besides conducting research, we need to initiate The conference will be held at the Berjaya • (images via: Vincent Callebaut) joint efforts and cooperation among agencies Waterfront Hotel in Johor Bahru. Dukung anak proven as potential cancer cure Formulation as a multi-targeted natural therapeutic product

By: Indu Bala Jaganath

“There are four different species of Dukung anak in Malaysia and in a many cases these species have been misidentified which has resulted in a number of discrepancies and irreproducibility” •Phyllanthus watsonii •P. urinaria •P. niruri •P. amarus he rich cocktail of phytonu- trients from dukung anak has been found to exhibit this is that the production of health fied .These species were then grown anti-cancer properties benefiting compounds in Dukung in a standardized manner utilizing Tthrough its effects on the apoptosis anak is very susceptibble to the consistent amount of irrigation and pathway in melanoma and prostate varying climatic changes and af- fertilizer and in a semi controlled cancer cells. fecting the standardization of the environment to limit the effects The formulation also produced herbs. There are four different of environmental factors on the high anti-viral activity; up to 94% species of Dukung anak in Malaysia production of phytonutrients. inhibition against dengue virus by and in a many cases these species Further development for down-regulating the synthesis of have been misidentified which has dengue and cholesterol reduc- an important structural protein resulted in a number of discrepan- tion needed during viral replication. cies and irreproducibility of scien- Through its validated multi-tar- This formulation was also able tific reports in terms of its chemical geted intervention, the bioactives to reduce blood serum cholesterol constituents and bioactivity. from dukung anak formulation has comparable to conventional treat- To bring Dukung anak to the the potential for incorporation into ment with statins. Statinwhich forefront of the herbal industry, it is functional foods or for the develop- may cause hepatic damage in mice important that this crop is backed ment of therapeutic remedies. modelsDukung anak (Phyllanthus up with comprehensive scientific Many pharmaceutical com- sp.) is a weed, and can be seen backings where the potency and the panies worldwide produce new growing along wastelands, along efficacy of this plant are thoroughly antiviral and anti-cancer formula- the roadside and drains. However, validated. tions extracted from herbs due to in Malay, Chinese and Indian folk- Through a government (MOSTI) its potential for effective treatment •Dukung anak products generated - collaboration lore, this herb is treasured for its grant amounting to RM 1.5 million, as it targets many cellular and mo- with Furley Bioextract Sdn. Bhd. many healing properties. a multi-disciplinary mega project lecular disease pathways making it It has been nicknamed as the entitled “Physiological manipula- a more effective therapeutic agent. stonebreaker due to its anti-diuretic tions to stabilize and/or increase This formulation can be espe- blood cholesterol comparable that of cardiovascular health and one such ability. It has also been employed to bioactive compounds in Phyllanthus cially important in Malaysia as the commercially used drug, statin. product is the Phyllanthus formula- treat hepatitis, bacterial infections, sp. for its antiviral and other health the number of dengue infection Statins currently constitute a major tion derived from this innovation. diabetes and hypertension. related properties” is being done has increased drastically in the revenue in the pharmaceutical Other than the development Although there has been ex- at Biotechnology Research Centre, last few decades, where in 2010, our industry, exceeding US$25 billion of a phytonutrient rich cocktail, tensive scientific evidence on the MARDI utilizing To limit the dis- country has been reported to have in 2009 (Statins: The World Market some novel technologies were also different efficacies of this herb, crepancies in the efficacy of dukung more than 40, 000 cases of dengue 2010-2025). generated through this innovation. the main drawback is that, just anak, the first step employed was with more than 50 deaths. Due to the side effects of statin A total of four patents were filed in like other herbs, the scientific to botanically characterize the Therefore effective of antiviral (associated with muscle and liver the year 2011-2012. Currently this studies carried out on the herb is species of dukung anak in Malay- drugs to dengue infection is really toxicity), there is a huge demand technology/ innovation is in the very fragmented and sometimes sia. Four species of dukung anak i.e in great demand. on the search of safe natural plant process of being licensed out to a inconclusive. Phyllanthus watsonii, P. niruri, P. This formulation was also found alternatives for the reduction of local Bionexus Herbal Company, One of the main reasons behind amarus and P. urinaria were identi- to be safe and effective in reducing blood cholesterol towards better Furley Bioextracts Sdn. Bhd. 12 March 2014 GENERAL Muhyiddin: Food security remains a big challenge Asean population to hit 786 million by 2050, higher food productivity crucial

and wider options of R&D outputs “In ASEAN, as and efficient costing would fa- our income and cilitate ASEAN members to choose standards of living and apply suitable technologies and methods for their respective coun- continue to rise, tries, and hence leading to higher the challenge productivity and competitiveness. is not only to “ With stronger and more produce sufficient unified networks of partnerships, the full potential of a prosper- food but to be able ous ASEAN community can be to produce the realised with greater impact,” he so-called “richer concluded. At the end of the meeting, foods”, such as Asean Agriculture Ministers, meat and milk to under the chairmanship of Malay- satisfy ASEAN sia’s Agriculture Minister, Dato’ Sri Ismail Sabri Yaakob agreed to regional demand.” focus their efforts and resources on agriculture sector. the achievement of the identified “Such trends, if not moni- key deliverables and prioritised tored and supervised with great measures in order to ensure the re- care, will bring grave repercus- alisation of the ASEAN Economic sions to many member nations, Community (AEC) deliverables in hence ASEAN as a region. the Food, Agriculture and Forestry He says in the pursuit of global sectors by 2015. competitiveness we must not The on-going progress made in leave behind the millions of small the implementation of the ASEAN farmers and traders whose liveli- Integrated Food Security (AIFS) hoods depend on agriculture. Framework and the Strategic Plan Food security must also of Action on ASEAN Food Security be achieved while improving (SPA-FS) 2009-2013 is also notable. •Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin accompanied by MOA Minister, Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri and his deputy, sustainable forest management. To move forward, we agreed to Datuk Tajuddin Abdul Rahman visited AMAF exhibition. ASEAN Member states must re- develop a second phase of SPA-FS inforce strategies and activities to accommodate some changes ven when we have 35th Meeting of Asean Ministers and standards of living continue that promote Sustainable Forest towards the common goal of long- achieved economic prog- on Agriculture and Forestry (35th to rise, the challenge is not only Management (SFM). term food security and reflect the ress and modernisation AMAF) and the 13th Meeting of to produce sufficient food but to The adoptions of the ASEAN important contribution of the today, Deputy Prime Asean Plus Three Ministers on be able to produce the so-called Criteria and Indicators for Sus- Food, Agriculture and Forestry EMinister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Agriculture and Forestry (13th “richer foods”, such as meat and tainable Management of Tropical sectors in the realisation of the Yassin says the future of global AMAF Plus Three) and The 3rd milk to satisfy ASEAN regional Forests is a significant achieve- ASEAN Community. and regional agriculture and food Asean-India Ministerial Meeting demand. ment in this direction. The ministers were encouraged scenario is still uncertain. on Agriculture and Forestry (3rd “Therefore, we, in ASEAN, “We should strive with by the significant progress made in He expresses that concerns as AIMMAF). need to work closely together to every effort to put in place enhancing the competitiveness of to whether we can produce and “ ASEAN would certainly need drive earnestly the important best practices and meaningful agricultural commodities through sustain enough food for everybody to continuously work towards gen- initiatives set out by our Leaders mechanisms to enable effective the development and implemen- remains. erating more food. Hence, our food as reflected in the “Statement government supervisions, and tation of ASEAN best practices, This is particularly worrying security framework has to be based on Food Security in the ASEAN mitigate abuses of forest han- namely Good Agricultural Practic- given that the United Nations on increased productivity and ef- Region.” Muhyiddin adds dling by commercial enterprises. es (GAP), Good Aquaculture Prac- predicts the world’s population to ficiency, in order to produce our Rapid globalisation is also af- Muhyiddin also invited Asean tices (GAqP), and Good Animal breach the 9.5 billion mark by the own food supply at a sustainable fecting agriculture production, Ministers to consider initiating Husbandry Practices (GAHP). year 2050. In Asean, total popula- level, taking into account global causing agriculture land and land a common fund dedicated to the We supported the initiative to tion would increase by more than market openings and liberalisa- banks to be turned into commercial development of innovation and establish an ASEAN certification 30 percent to reach 786 million by tion, as well as increased exports developments resulting in reduced R&D activities. and accreditation mechanism to the same year. of food from the Asean region. number of planting acreage, and “Perhaps with a common and a support the implementation of Muhyiddin was speaking to the “In ASEAN, as our income displacement of workers in the greater pool of investment, better these best practices. Agriculture should not be marginalised for developed status he agricultural sector is In our efforts to achieve devel- try’s food security, the sector order to confront future chal- MARDI’s role in generating one of the key sectors of oped nation status by 2020, the continues to be strengthened as lenges and competition. technology and innovation is T focus for the country, and agriculture sector should not a competitive business entity. Efforts to transform the very large and especially signif- to be among the main agenda be marginalized . Nevertheless, the agriculture sector is a huge challenge, as icant as a driver of the country’s of the country in world trade. As guarantor of the coun- sector needs transformation in it not only involves a change in agricultural transformation. the style of activities, but also Mardi has many technolo- require a shift in mindset of gies and innovations that con- society as a whole. tribute to the development of “Efforts to The stigma that agricul- the agriculture sector. ture is an activity of low recoil However, there still areas transform the been etched in the minds of the to be explored and room for sector is a huge public. improvement as the concept of challenge, as it We have to rid agriculture innovation itself is constantly of this stigma and it should be changing to suit the times. not only involves done through the Department Mardi must continue to adapt a change in the of Agriculture and related and evolve to ensure continued style of activities, agencies. Traditional farming development of the agricultural approach should be changed sector. but also require a by using the latest technology With proper planning, pro- shift in mindset of applications and innovations grams and initiatives, I am con- society as a whole” that are relevant and practical . fident that Mardi will continue I do hope that Mardi would to be the home for innovation be able to ignite a culture of and more importantly, I am con- Dr Ali Hamsa accompanied by MOA Secretary General, Datuk innovation and creativity not fident that the innovations can Seri• Mohd Hashim Abdullah and DG MARDI, Datuk Dr Sharif Haron, only in our ministry, depart- be successfully implemented launched new hybrid of orchid named after him - Renanthera Tan ments and agencies but also in and can bring great impact on Sri Ali Hamsa. the public service ecosystems. the community and the nation.