The Star,
23 February 2008
Biotech boost for
agriculture using technology to fulfil sector’s
potential
By ERROL OH
AGRICULTURE, is almost as old as mankind, but what
Malaysia wants to emphasise is New Agriculture. This
involves, among other things, the application of
biotechnology to push the agriculture sector towards
realizing its full potential for creating wealth.
With biotechnology comes the promise of higher
yielding clones, superior livestock breeds and fish,
and new high value-added products.
Among the growth areas in technology in Malaysia,
agriculture biotechnology can be considered a sweet
spot, given its prominence in the National
Biotechnology Policy and the Government’s focus on
revitalising the agriculture sector.
Says Malaysian Biotechnology Corp Sdn Bhd (BiotechCorp)
CEO Datuk Iskandar Mizal Mahmood, Agriculture
biotechnology is a significant contributor in
building the Malaysian biotechnology business. This
is underscored by recent initiatives activated
within the economic corridors in Peninsular Malaysia
Sabah and Sarawak.
The Government-owned BiotechCorp spearheads the
development of Malaysia’s biotechnology sector.
The thinking behind the National Biotechnology
Policy is to leverage the country’s existing
capabilities and to move them up the value chain. It
is understandable then that the first of the nine
thrusts of the policy is the development of
agriculture biotechnology.
The objective is to transform and enhance the value
creation of the agricultural sector through
biotechnology.
Back in April 2005, when launching the policy, Prime
Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi pointed
out that biotechnology was central to the search for
answers to some of our most difficult challenges.
“For example, researchers have been able to add
genes to rice and maize, which enable the plants to
withstand toxic and infertile soil, a problem that
affects many areas in the tropics. The yields and
quality of such agriculture produce have improved
tremendously in many parts of the world,” he
explained.
He also said three centres of excellence for
biotechnology would be developed to become anchors
and to attract others to set up institutions and
companies in the related areas of expertise.
Eventually, these centres of excellence will be part
of the BioNexus Network, a web of biotechnology
companies and organisations that leverage on
existing facilities, infrastructure and capabilities
of universities and research institutions throughout
Malaysia.
This will stimulate collaboration and exchange of
ideas.
It is no surprise that the Ninth Malaysia Plan 9MP
has quite a bit to say about biotechnology in the
agricultural context. The chapter on agriculture
says that in line with the National Biotechnology
Policy, the application of biotechnology to
agriculture will be further promoted and
intensified.
Iskandar of BiotechCorp points out that the range of
activities in agriculture biotechnology is diverse.
These include plant genomics, animal health,
diagnostics and biologies fertiliser and soil
enhancers tissue culture breeding and reproduction
and nutraceuticals.
He adds, “This ensures a strong platform for further
value creation in agriculture biotechnology from
year to year”.
Chapter Six, titled Biotechnology For Wealth
Creation touches on several measures to strengthen
the foundation of agriculture biotechnology and to
draw greater private sector participation by
investing and establishing businesses in strategic
parts of the value chain.
It says, “To increase value creation of the
agriculture sector, greater efforts will be
undertaken to develop national capability in agro
biotechnology.”
One way is to harness and deepen the knowledge and
expertise built up by institutions such as the
Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development
Institute (Mardi), Malaysian Palm Oil Board and
Malaysian Rubber Board.
These can be used to develop niche areas such as
bioinformatics genetic engineering functional
genomics and proteomics the study of proteins in a
cell tissue or organism to discover new
applications. Such work can lead to
agro-biotechnology products that increase plant and
livestock productivity and improve their agronomic
traits.
Another form of agro biotechnology that is promoted
under the 9MP is biopharming which is the use of
genetically engineered plants or livestock to
produce high value proteins or chemicals for
pharmaceutical purposes.
Research and development (R&D) is the cornerstone of
biotechnology and this is where Mardi has a big part
to play According to the 9MP the National Institute
of Agro biotechnology at Mardi will serve as the
centre of excellence for agro biotechnology R&D,
commercialisation and diffusion.
There are indications of growing entrepreneurial
interest in agriculture biotechnology. Of the 51
companies that have been awarded BioNexus status, to
date 17 are in agriculture biotechnology. The latter
account for about a third of the nearly RM1bil in
total approved investments by all the BioNexus
companies. |
|
