KUCHING,Aug 30: The Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences has expressed keenness to collaborate with the state in large scale production of hybrid corn.
The Academy deputy director-cum-senior agronomist from its Institute of Maize Research, Kai Chen, and Guang Dong Foshan Yanchen Biological Technology Company Limited board chairman, Li Jun Ru paid a courtesy call on Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas to pursue the collaboration at his office today.
According to Kai, the group had heard of Sarawak’s intention to cultivate corn chiefly as animal feed in order to ensure sufficient supply as the state began to intensify its livestock industry as well as to achieve future self-sufficiency.
During the meeting, Uggah who is also the Minister of Modernisation of Agriculture, Native Land and Regional Development had briefed the entourage that Sarawak was interested in producing seed and complete maize production.
“These will be sold to smallholders and once it has the volume, it will want to sell,” he said.
Kai also learnt that Sarawak imported about RM400 million worth of corn annually for the livestock industry.
“Our institute is producing hybrid corn in huge volume, which is of very high quality. High quality corn will mean better quality meat,” he elaborated.
He pointed out that Shandong Agricultural Science was of the finest agricultural academies in the whole of China in research and production of agricultural products.
“Under our proposed collaboration, we can bring in Chinese technology to the state particularly in the corn production,” he said.
“Under peak conditions, we can produce 13 tonnes per hectare. This collaboration, of course, will be based on government-to-government basis,” he added.— DayakDaily
