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By Ashley Sim
KUCHING, July 9: Sarawak Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg emphasises the importance of registering intellectual property (IP) after conducting research and development (R&D) in the seed industry.
During the ‘Sunday with Premier 2.0 Dialogue Session with Young Entrepreneurs on New Economy’, Ling Zhi An of Ling Seng Company of the Agriculture/Commodity sector said that Japan is the global leader in fruit cultivation, especially for melons and watermelons, as well as seed production.
“Seed producers from Japan produce the best melon and watermelon varieties, which are well accepted by global farmers.
“Based on my knowledge, seed producers in Japan have recently sought to expand their seed production scale to meet rising demand, with Southeast Asian countries as their primary targets,” Ling noted during the dialogue session held at a hotel in Kuching today.
He then asked the Premier what the State government could do to ensure that Sarawak would seize the opportunity of transformation and become competitive in the global seed industry.
“This depends much on the success of your R&D. R&D is important. I’ve requested the (Agriculture) ministry to find a nursery industry that will enable you (entrepreneurs) to produce seeds that can be used as a startup for any entrepreneurs that want to go into agriculture, and this involves science.
“What they (entrepreneurs) have to do is work together with the Sarawak Biodiversity Centre (SBC) to identify crops with value, including pharmaceuticals, and then foreign investors can come in and collaborate and conduct research with Sarawak entrepreneurs.
“Once you have the results of your research, you must register your IP or else others will acquire it,” Abang Johari explained.
The Premier used the example of New Zealand’s kiwi fruits, which the country did not register its IP on, and then other countries produced kiwi fruits and registered their IP on them.
“In other words, your R&D activity and the discoveries you make must be referred to lawyers who specialise in IP in order for you to be registered, and then you become the producer for that seed of that particular crop,” he added.
Abang Johari remarked that the Sarawak government is collaborating with the agriculture industry on paddy (rice) cultivation and has provided a seed grant to enable farmers to cultivate paddy that can be planted and harvested three times in 18 months.
“Meaning the yield is greater, which will increase rice farmers’ earnings,” he added. — DayakDaily
