Bernama.com (Malaysian National News Agency), 17 July 2006 15:13 PM

Melaka Wants Major Herb Producer Tag

By Mohd Bakri Darus

MELAKA, July 17 (Bernama) -- After 25 years of suffering from throbbing headaches, Haidir Yusoff, 35, finally found a cure in the form of a local herb, "emas cotek" or scientifically known as Ficus deltoidea.

Since he was nine years old, Haidir who hails from Kampung Serkam, near here, had migraine attacks every time he consumed sour fruit.

However, after drinking water boiled with emas cotek leaves, he is now on the road to recovery.

"I am now free from migraines and able to savour sour fruit," said Haidir who continues to take the herbal drink.

According to him, emas cotek juice is a remedy for several ailments like gout, hypertension and diabetes apart from improving blood circulation as well as reducing cholesterol and toxins in the body.

YOUNG ENTREPRENEUR

Impressed by emas cotek's medicinal value, Haidir decided to venture into the herbal industry.

Through his company, DealQue Exclusive Enterprise, he markets emas cotek at the farmers' markets and night markets in Melaka, Johor and Kuala Lumpur as well as in the Felda and Felcra land schemes.

This earns him an income of RM6,000 to RM10,000 a month.

He sells dried emas cotek leaves and saplings at between RM8 and RM50, sourcing them from growers in Muar, Johor and in Kuala Pilah and Sri Menanti, Negri Sembilan.

To ensure enough supply of emas cotek, he has opened a two-hectare farm in Serkam planted with 10,000 emas cotek saplings.

Haidir realises that herbs like emas cotek have good potential but their existence is depleting as there has been little effort to plant the herbs on a commercial basis. "Emas cotek is easy to plant in pots using palm compost and is also ideal for landscaping," he said.

COMMERCIAL BASIS

Haidir is among several entrepreneurs in Melaka who had taken the initiative to cultivate herbs on a commercial scale.

In Malaysia, the herbal market is estimated to exceed RM4.55 billion with 90 per cent of the raw materials sourced from India and Indonesia.

Melaka Executive Councillor for Rural Development and Agriculture Md Yunos Husin said a study revealed that land in the state was suitable for the cultivation of herbal plants and several of such projects were showing good potential.

"Demand for herbs is high in the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. The government is confident that those involved would get lucrative returns," he said.

He said Melaka was focusing on herb cultivation, which was in line with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's call for state governments to beef up their respective agriculture sector under the Ninth Malaysia Plan.

Md Yunos said there were hundreds of herbal plant species in the country which could be used to make cosmetics and pharmaceuticals.

HERB SPECIES

Among the herbs found in the country are "hempedu bumi" (Andrographis paniculata), "cekur" (Kaempferia galanga), "sambung nyawa" (Gynura procumbers), "temu lawak" (Curcuma xanthomhiza), "halia bara" (Zingiber officinale), "lidah buaya" (Aloe vera), "tongkat Ali" (Eurycoma longifolia jack), "kacip Fatimah" (Labisa pumila), "misai kucing" (Orthosiphon stamineus) and "dukung anak" (Phyllanthus niruri linn).

Some of these herbs like "pegaga" (Centella asiatica) can be found growing in the backyard or garden of homes or among undergrowth. Pegaga is in high demand as a salad or condiment but also in the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries.

This herb contains "tetripenoids" which is a basic ingredient in skin care and medicine for cancer. It is also a "rejuvenator" and can be processed into a health tonic, while energing-boosing herbs like kacip Fatimah are also planted as home decoration.

MELAKA BIOTECHNOLOGY INSTITUTE

Md Yunos said the state government had set up the Melaka Biotechnology Institute (IBM) in Ayer Keroh here at the cost of RM8.2 million to spearhead research and development of the herbal industry.

IBM's research is expected to solve problems in getting herbal saplings besides providing guidance to herbal industry entrepreneurs in the state.

He said the tissue culture method of producing herbal saplings had resulted in high quality herbs that were resistant to diseases.

"IBM is able to supply sufficient saplings for the entrepreneurs," he added.

The state government has also set up Melaka Biotech Holdings Sdn Bhd to market the entrepreneurs' herbal products, while IBM will also focus on introducing rare herbal species to ensure sustained biotechnological ventures.

Koperasi Pembangunan Tijarah Melaka Berhad is involved in the marketing and supply of herbs for the local herbal industry.

Its chief executive officer Datuk Hashim Mohamad said the cooperative would supply the entrepreneurs with herbal saplings from IBM and also assist them to market their products.

"The cooperative would acquire the saplings, supply them to the entrepreneurs and sell their products to IBM," he said.