Archived News

26/04/05 - THE Sarawak State Government is building a RM4.2 billionintegrated pulp and paper mill in Bintulu. It has incorporated a company,Tatau Pulp Manufacturer Sdn Bhd, to carry out the project expected topossibly start operating around 2008.The company received the Federal Government's approval to build thefactory late last year and the Sarawak Government has gazetted andalienated 1,000 hectares to the Bintulu Development Authority whicheffectively owns Tatau Pulp."Our development is not a revival of the Borneo Pulp and Paper project.Although we're in the same town, the Tatau Pulp project is totallydifferent. We're 100 per cent owned by the Sarawak Government," directorLen Talif Salleh said.Speaking to Business Times at the Swedish Pulp and Paper Technologyseminar in Kuala Lumpur yesterday, Len said the company may considerraising funds by issuing Islamic bonds."We'll be leaving for the UK, Germany and Sweden to look at machineriesand the different financing options for the pulp and paper mill project,"he added.Len, who is also Sarawak Timber Industry Development Corp general manager,estimates that it would take three years to get the right financingarrangement and equip the factory with the relevant machineries to churnout 650,000 tonnes of writing and printing paper annually.He said work on the integrated pulp and paper mill project had alreadystarted with farmed forest of the acacia mangium species. "Every year, theGovernment allocates RM60 million to replant 20,000ha secondary forestwith acacia mangium," he said.In May 2003, the Sarawak Forestry Department handed over a 54,000ha sitefor the planting of acacia mangium to Grand Perfect Sdn Bhd in KakusDistrict, about 90km from Bintulu.Grand Perfect is a consortium of three major timber companies in Sarawak -KTS Timber Industries Bhd, Samling Strategic Corp Sdn Bhd and Ta AnnHolding Bhd.The RM180 million acacia mangium planting exercise is Malaysia's largestsingle species plantation to supply wood for a pulp and paper project on asustainable basis. "Tatau Pulp is planning to sign a pulp supply agreementwith the Sarawak Government in the last quarter of the year," Len said.

HONIARA, April 26 Asia Pulse - A group of chiefs in the Solomon Islands isthreatening to seek legal action against the Memorandum of Understanding(MOU) signed between Guadalcanal Resource Development Association and theBritain Palm Oil Company.

April 22 2005 - GOLDEN Hope Plantations Bhd is expected to expandfurther its buying sprees abroad to ride on rising global palm oilconsumption, analysts say.

Friday April 22, 2005 - Kumpulan Guthrie Bhd has launched its firstcommercial clonal oil palm, ABB1, which has the potential to enhanceproduction yields by 30% compared with current seedling materials.

Datuk Peter Chin

KOTA KINABALU, Apr 21 - Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) has obtained aRM70,000 grant to study the impact of socio-economic changes on oil palmsmallholders in Sabah and Sarawak.The grant, from the United Nations’ Educational, Scientific and CulturalOrganisation (Unesco), was won by a team from the university’s Ethnographyand Social Development Research Unit.

4/19/2005 - Business Times (Malaysia) GOLDEN Hope Plantations Bhd, whichhas been on a buying spree, yesterday forged an alliance with SaudiArabia's Savola Edible Oils Co Ltd in the oils and fats business.

4/19/2005 - Business Times (Malaysia) - ANTIOXIDANTS manufacturerCarotech Bhd plans to set up a second crude palm oil (CPO) processingplant to boost its production of tocotrienols, a CPO-based form of VitaminE.

4/19/2005 ST. LOUIS, April 19 -- The United Soybean Board (USB)congratulates the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) on therelease of the new Food Guidance System. This powerful tool will helpeducate Americans to make healthier food choices. In combination withphysical activity, these food guidelines will contribute to maintaining ahealthy weight and enhance overall wellness.

4/18/2005 - Independent on Sunday via NewsEdge Corporation : A newgeneration of foods and drinks designed to help reduce cancers and heartdisease are set to appear on Britain's supermarket shelves.

17/4/05 - The rising prices of traditional fuel and a government policyto promote alternative energy provide an opportunity for British D1 OilsPlc to produce biodiesel from Jatropha (saboo dum), which can grow innortheastern Thailand.

April 18 2005 - GROWTH for CB Industrial Product Holding Bhd, whichundertakes construction and engineering of palm oil mills, is expected tocome from overseas markets.