AGRICULTURE SECTOR PROVIDES OPPORTUNITIES FOR INDUSTRY PLAYERS

By Premalatha Jayaraman

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 26 (Bernama) -- The agriculture sector is expected to
provide lots of opportunities for industry players to complement the
government's efforts to increase food production.

Senior fellow at the Institute of Strategic and International Studies, Dr
Larry Wong Chee Yoong, said industry players could grab the opportunities,
especially the growing biotechnology sector.

"Malaysia was one of the countries which adopted the strategy to use
agriculture as the engine of growth.

"In the 80's people use to think of agriculture as a sunset industry," Wong
told Bernama at the three-day Developing-Eight Ministers' Meeting on Food
Security, which started Wednesday.

Wong said many people forgot about the agriculture industry but Malaysia
looked at it as one of the key drivers of the economy.

He said in view of the growing population and increasing demand for food,
there was a need to increase the level of food production with higher quality
and nutrients.

"People are now looking for better quality food as they are more concerned
about their health," he said.

Besides hosts Malaysia, the countries attending the meeting are Iran,
Indonesia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt and Nigeria.

Saudi Arabia, Brunei and Qatar are attending as observers.

The meeting will dwell on the implementation of three initiatives for a
strategic cooperation among member countries.

They are production of quality fertilisers, animal feed and formation of a
seed bank.

-- BERNAMA