MALAYSIAN GOVT HAS NO PLAN FOR SUGAR PALMS AS NEW COMMODITY SOURCE

KUALA LUMPUR, April 15 (Bernama) -- The Ministry of Plantation Industries
and Commodities has no plan yet to make "sugar palms" or palm trees which
produce sugar, as a new commodity source.

Deputy Minister Hamzah Zainudin said the Malaysian government was giving
priority to strengthening the development of existing commodities, including oil
palm,rubber, pepper, cocoa and timber.

"At the same time, the focus is also on developing new commodity sources
embracing kenaf, sago and jatropha," he said in replying to Dr Marcus
Mojigoh, a Member of Parliament in Parliament Thursday.

Marcus had wanted to know the steps taken by the government in diversifying
the plantation and commodities industry and if the country was deriving revenue
from sugar palms.

Hamzah said from research undertaken, the nipah tree (Nypa fruticans)
which produced nira and "fermented vinegar" as well as the kabung tree (Arenga
pinnata) which can produce bioethanol, cannot give a better yield than oil palm.

"However, the government will consider the potential of both in planting on
marginal land unsuitable for oil palm," he explained.

He also disclosed that the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) is cooperating
with the Land Custody and Development Authority Sarawak to develop a different
plam species, that is sago, in the state.

Among the downstream products that can be derived are sago flour which can
be used to produce value added products such as maltodextrin,sweeteners and
bioethanol, he said.

-- BERNAMA