Cultivated meat for M’sian consumers in 2025
A local firm joins global race to produce cultivated meat in Penang in a RM20 million facility A LOCAL COMPANY has set its target to produce cultivated meat in Malaysia by 2025. Efforts are on the way to build a RM20 million facility in Penang by Cell AgriTech Sdn Bhd, a Bio-Based Accelerator (BBA) company next […]
Indonesian firm offers framework to speed up sustainable agriculture
JAKARTA: Pandawa Agri Indonesia (PAI), the first Indonesian life science-based company with innovation in pesticide reductants, today announced its three sustainability frameworks to accelerate sustainable agriculture in Indonesia. The frameworks are called 3 PROs: 1) protecting the environment, 2) prospering the people, and 3) promoting responsible business practices. These frameworks were unveiled in the company’s first […]
More than 100 tons of Golden Rice harvested in the Philippines
THE Department of Agriculture Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) has announced that more than 100 tons of fresh paddy of beta carotene-enriched Malusog Rice (Golden Rice) have been harvested in 17 pioneer production sites across the country. This first harvest will be milled for distribution in target households in selected provinces in the country with preschool children at-risk […]
GM Purple Tomato Gets Approval in the United States
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) issued a Regulatory Status Review (RSR) on September 7, 2022, stating that the new genetically modified (GM) purple tomato from Norfolk Plant Sciences may be safely grown and used in breeding in the United States. The purple tomato was modified to alter its color and […]
Saffron made affordable through GM technology
SAFFRON is the most expensive spice in the world. It is mainly cultivated in countries such as Iran, Spain, Italy, Greece, Morocco, India and Turkey. Historically, saffron is dubbed as ‘red gold’ and is believed to have been discovered during Bronze age Greece. If you make a quick search on e-commerce platforms, you would find […]
Priming crops to face impact of climate change
CONFRONTED with the need of increasing global food production – farmers are constantly challenged with altering conditions and emergent soil-borne pathogens brought on by human-induced climate change. Recent data estimate that 40 percent of food crops are lost to plant pests and diseases every year, largely impacting both global food security and the livelihood of smallholder […]
Researchers identify genes to help fruit adapt to droughts
RESEARCHERS from the Boyce Thompson Institute (BTI) and Cornell University have completed the first study that provides a comprehensive picture of changes in gene expression in response to water stress in tomatoes and identified genes that could help plant breeders develop fruit that can cope with drought conditions. Led by BTI Assistant Professor Carmen Catalá, who is also a […]
Artificial intelligence PadiMedical system, accelerates patient critical data sharing
BY AISHAH HISAMUDDIN THE PadiMedical system was designed with the integration of Artificial Intelligence in mind, assisting in the detection of disease features and improving clinical workflow, giving medical practitioners the advantage of responding to the disease in its early stages as one of the supports to accelerate patient clinical image critical data sharing. The cost of medical […]
Kenyans need to turn to GM crops to combat drought
KENYA is experiencing a severe water shortage due to four failed rainy seasons and is in the middle of the worst droughts that happened in the East African region in four decades. These conditions lead to reduced crop production and indicate a possible famine. One of the solutions to such problems is the adoption of genetically modified (GM) crops […]
Improving country’s food production: Issues and policy responses
BY PROF DATUK M NASIR SHAMSUDIN THE food sector in the country is facing major challenges that will persist for the next decades. These include providing sufficient food to meet the growing population and rising per capita income as well as dietary changes, eradicating hunger and food insecurity. The sector is also influenced […]