Berita Arkib

COMMERCIALISATION of genetically-modified (GM) palm oil will depend verymuch on customer acceptance, said Dr Cheah Suan Choo, a researcher fromthe Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB).This is due to the fact that palm oil is still a 100% natural product andgenetically-modified organism-free (GMO-free) a selling point in marketingthe commodity.However, further research on GM palm oil was necessary to ensure thefuture competitiveness of the Malaysian palm oil industry, she said in apaper, Current Issues in the Genetic Modification of Crop Plant, at the2001 International Palm Oil Congress (2001 PIPOC) in Kuala Lumpuryesterday.“For the Malaysian industry, the competitiveness of the oil isprogressively being undermined by increasing production cost,’’ she said.Therefore, she said, the usage of GM palm oil would be able to reduceproduction cost and increase yield such as with its main competitors,soyabean and canola.In addition, she said it was apparent that the second-generation of GMproducts from these crops would have altered oil compositions.Changeability in the use of oils and fats posed an additional risk to palmoil, she added.Besides cost effectiveness and high yield through GM, Cheah said, changestaking place in the trade environment would create more competitiveness.The implementation of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) agreements andthe regional trade policies, namely, Asean Free Trade Area and the NorthAmerican Free Trade Agreement, would inevitably lead to liberalisation.Hence, the ability to change the storage oil composition in plants wouldbe of particular relevance, she argued.“With reduced restrictions on trade, there will be much more competitionamong the producing countries, more so with the availability of thetechnology to change the composition of oils at will, as made possiblethrough GM technology,’’ said Cheah.She stressed that it was essential for the industry to strategise thesechallenges in order to sustain competitive advantage and keep pace withthe latest developments.

DRB-HICOM Bhd has confirmed that it is one of the local parties involvedin the double-tracking rail project linking Seremban and Johor Baru.

UNICO-DESA Plantations Bhd expects to perform better in its current yearended March 31, 2001, thanks to higher crude palm oil (CPO) prices, itschairman and managing director Tan Sri Ngan Ching Wen said.Speaking to reporters after the company AGM in Kuala Lumpur yesterday,Ngan said the plantation company had locked in favourable CPO prices forthe next five months, and hence was likely to report better results in itscurrent financial year.He declined, however, to disclose the average CPO prices locked in, exceptto say that he expects CPO to remain at around RM1, 100 per tonne thisyear.For the financial year ended March 31 this year, the group suffered a57.4% drop in pre-tax profit to RM8.84mil, down from RM20.74mil the yearbefore as a result of a lower CPO prices.Turnover was 26.4% lower to RM76.3mil, from RM103.62mil previously.Ngan said the RM8.84mil pre-tax profit was lower than the group’s profitforecast of RM26.43mil as average CPO prices sold by Unico-Desa during theyear under review was only RM828 per tonne instead of the projected RM1,100.He said the group had received several proposals to acquire more land toincrease the oil palm acreage, but had not decided on any as it waswaiting for a good price.Listed on the KLSE main board in May last year, Unico-Desa currently hasland bank of about 12,168 ha in Lahad Datu, Sabah.Ngan also said the group would continue to focus on the cultivation of oilpalm, and would not invest heavily on palm oil refinery as it involvedhigh set up costs.Friday, August 24, 2001The Star

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 23 (Bernama) -- Producing palm diesel is still viableeven if the price of crude palm oil (CPO) touches RM2,000 a tonne, says arepresentative of a German refinery equipment firm.

LESS than 20% of small and medium scale industry (SMI) operators carry outtheir own product research and development (R&D) to enable them upgradesand create new inventions.Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry parliamentary secretary WongKam Hoong said only 3% of their total income was spent for the purpose.He said that in the manufacturing industry, only 5% of the localsregistered their patents while the rest were foreign manufacturers.“There are more than 100,000 SMIs nationwide. Out of the total, less than20% carry out their own R&D to enable them compete in a global market.“This is not encouraging and I hope that they will be more creative withmore inventions to enable them sell their own design as it will give themmore value added,’’ he said.He said after opening the Introduction to Malaysia Intellectual Propertyseminar here on Tuesday, Wong said to achieve this, the ministry hadrecently tabled the Intellectual Property Cooperation Act.He said the act would provide guidelines to locals not only in theindustrial and manufacturing sector but also in the agriculture sectorsuch as rubber and palm oil.Wong said this would also encourage more locals to create their ownpatents and trademarks to enable them stay competitive, adding that theywould table six other related acts in line with the act.“Our statistics reveal that less than 5% of inventions are owned by localsand that is why we are encouraging manufacturers to come out with theirinnovations,’’ he said.Friday, August 24, 2001The Star

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 22 (Bernama) -- Local palm oil planters should grab theopportunity to gain additional revenue by venturing into the paper-makingindustry, now that there is a latest cost-effective technology that couldprocess oil palm pulp into papers.

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 22 (Bernama) -- Local palm oil planters should grab theopportunity to gain additional revenue by venturing into the paper-makingindustry, now that there is a latest cost-effective technology that couldprocess oil palm pulp into papers.

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 22 (Bernama) -- e-POMEX, the newly launched electronicexchange for palm oil products, would be available for internationalplayers from the first quarter next year, said chief executive officer ofEcomex Palm Oil (M) Sdn Bhd, Akib Sebli.

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 22 (Bernama) -- e-registration, an electronic submissionsystem, will mutually benefit the palm oil industry and the Malaysian PalmOil Board (MPOB), said its head of trade development unit, Jamil Nordin.

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 22 (Bernama) -- In view of the lack of active researchand development (R&D) on agricultural products in Malaysia, it isessential for the country to work with leading R&D groups worldwide sothat Malaysian R&D can be more effective, said a Malaysian Palm OilAssociation (MPOA) official Chew Poh Soon.

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 22 (Bernama) -- Malaysia's palm oil industry playerskeen on having a partnership in oil refinery, would have a goodopportunity to do so with a company from India which wants to foray intothe edible oil sector.

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 22 (Bernama) -- It is vital for the oils and fatsindustry to ensure the continuous participation in regulatory decisionmaking at both the national and international level.