MALAYSIA'S MARDITECH AND INDONESIA'S ASPPERLI TO PRODUCE HIGH QUALITY SEAWEED

By Ahmad Fuad Yahya

MAKASSAR, Jan 16 (Bernama) -- Marditech, a Malaysian Agricultural Research
and Development Institute (Mardi) subsidiary, on Friday signed a memorandum of
understanding with Aspperli, Indonesia's association of seaweed growers, to
produce high quality seaweed for Malaysian manufacturers.

Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Noh Omar witnessed the ceremony here.

Speaking at the event, Noh said, the cooperation would benefit seaweed
growers in Sulawesi, the world's largest seaweed producer, as their product
would fetch a higher price while manufacturers in Malaysia would have a constant
supply of quality raw material to process.

Mardi Director-General Dr Abd Shukor Abd Rahman said under the cooperation,
Marditech would assist seaweed growers in Sulawesi on the right way to dry the
plant to preserve its quality.

He said that Marditech would set a certain standard for the product and that
it might consider using the name "Standard Sulawesi" to reflect the product's
quality.

At the initial stage, the product would be for a manufacturer in Malaysia
which would import 60,000 tonnes a year in addition to the 40,000 tonnes a year
it bought from Malaysian seaweed growers.

The import might increase especially if the cooperation was successful in
producing quality seaweed, he said.

Dr Abd Shukor said the seaweed would be processed as food stabiliser, an
important component in food processing.
-- BERNAMA