MALAYSIAN GOVERNMEENT will maintain the price of local white rice at RM2.60 per kg with RM150 million allocated to absorb production costs over the next six months as re[ported recently. According to Agriculture and Food Security Minister has said this move is aimed at ensuring the continued availability of 24 million sacks of local white rice in the market. Told reported that the reform efforts will take one year. There will be another announcement in the second half of the year. Ministry said this move is aimed at ensuring the continued availability of 24 million sacks of local white rice in the market, adding that the ministry will finalise the implementation mechanism and provide further details once the plan is fully confirmed. The floor price of padi will be revised to RM1,500 per tonne, up from RM1,300 per tonne, effective Feb 16 2025. The price adjustment considers the increasing costs of labour and agricultural inputs, such as fertilisers and pesticides. This article ini "Anim Agriculture Technology" blog I write about an issue reported by local media regarding local white rice price in Malaysia.
Refering to a local NST report titled 'Standardise rice prices to create 'win-win' situation, govt told' where the government has been told to standardise white rice prices at a single grade, priced between RM32 and RM34 per 10kg pack, regardless of whether the rice is locally produced or imported. This move is seen as essential to create a 'win-win' solution for all stakeholders, as several major mills are allegedly mixing local white rice with imported rice before repackaging and selling it under imported rice labels at significantly higher prices. Report from a coalition of Rice Millers Malaysia chairman Marzhuki Othman said the current ceiling price of RM26 for a 10kg pack of local white rice is outdated and in need of revision. The price of local rice at RM26 per 10kg has remained unchanged for over 16 years, back when the minimum padi purchase price was only about RM950 per metric tonne. Now with the government now setting the minimum padi purchase price at RM1,300 per metric tonne, millers are facing losses. Therefore, the price of rice should be raised to RM32–RM34 to align with the current floor price for padi. This adjustment would ensure that all parties in the supply chain, including millers, wholesalers, and farmers, are not burdened by rising costs. Marzhuki alleged that some major millers have resorted to mixing local white rice with imported varieties, labelling them as imported rice to justify higher prices. They know that at least 62 per cent of the contents in these so-called imported rice packs consist of local white rice. This practice is likely aimed at avoiding the losses faced by smaller millers like us. Consequently, smaller millers are suffering an average annual loss of RM900 million collectively due to increased padi purchase prices while rice prices remain low. With the minimum purchase price of padi set at RM1,300 per metric tonne, Marzhuki warned of a potential 'price war' among major millers who have their own wholesale networks. They could offer farmers as much as RM1,800 per metric tonne, as desired by farmers, but this would significantly impact smaller millers like us in which at the current purchase price of RM1,300 per metric tonne, combined with rice being sold at RM26 per 10kg pack, millers are incurring losses of RM600 per metric tonne of rice produced. If local white rice production stands at around 1.5 million metric tonnes annually, it's no surprise that the 70 rice mills in the country collectively face losses of up to RM900 million a year," he said. He who operates a rice mill in Perlis, said the situation has led to many millers shutting down operations due to unsustainable losses. recently only about 10 mills are still operating, and even they are barely surviving, with some on the brink of closure after enduring losses for the past two years. The padi farmers in Perlis, Kedah, Penang, and Perak have staged protests, calling on the government to raise the minimum padi purchase price to RM1,800 per metric tonne.
Other related report 'The Kedah Consumers Association (Cake) says it was high time the government reviewed the RM2.60 per kilogramme ceiling price' for local white rice to address its supply shortage in the market is related (See photo above). Its president, Mohd Yusrizal Yusoff, said the price, which was last reviewed 17 years ago, is no longer relevant to the current situation, particularly the global price hike of the grain. He said while Cake welcomes the government's move to retain the ceiling price of local white rice, it is worried the supply shortage would be prevalent due to unscrupulous activity of mixing local produce with imported white rice. They believe local white rice is missing because of the global price hike, leading to a higher cost of importing white rice, while the price of local white is way cheaper. This leads to an unscrupulous act of mixing imported rice with local white rice in a pack and selling the rice at a higher price (imported rice price). There is a lack of enforcement, and we hope to see a sound policy to address this issue. They support calls by farmers to review the local white rice price and set a new price that is reasonable so that the people will not be burdened and at the same time, there is a sufficient supply (of local white rice in the market. Earlier Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu announced a revised padi floor price from RM1,300 per metric tonne to RM1,500, effective this Sunday. He informed the Dewan Rakyat that the decision was taken considering the rising costs of wages, agricultural input, and the impact on rice production costs. Also announced that the government would maintain the price of local white rice at RM2.60 per kg, with RM150 million allocated to absorb production costs over the next six months. Yusrizal said Cake shared farmers' sentiments that the RM1,500 per metric tonne floor price set by the government falls short of their production cost. Despite the hike announced by the government, the floor price is considered lower compared to the rising padi cultivation costs. Today the farmers are burdened by rising costs of fertilisers, pesticides and seed that have jumped to nearly 100 per cent, with their cultivation cost having surged to nearly RM1,600 per metric tonne. Farmers who are working on small-sized, padi fields are the most affected because, on average, they are earning less than RM1,500 per month. Thanks... M Anim,
Putrajaya,
Malaysia.
(March 2025)
REPORTED recently in Malaysia that new floor price for padi to offer relief to farmers facing rising production costs. Previously in early Febuary 2025 a group of padi farmers in Jerlun during a peaceful gathering to demand for the government to increase padi floor price to RM1,800 per metric ton from RM1,300 per metric ton (See photo below). Later the new floor price for padi, set to be announced next week, is expected to provide much-needed relief to farmers struggling with rising production costs. The economists believe the move will have a positive impact, especially given the economic challenges faced by farmers. According too Prof Dr Yeah Kim Leng, senior fellow and director of the Economic Studies Programme at the Jeffrey Cheah Institute on Southeast Asia at Sunway University has said the new floor price would be a welcome relief for farmers grappling with higher production and living costs. Padi farmers are among the low-income groups, and continued government support is crucial to ensuring adequate rice supplies at low prices while the purpose of safeguarding the country's medium- to long-term food security. This article in "Anim Agriculture Technology" I rewrite a local media report about the announcement of new floor price of padi in Malaysia.
Actually, the ideally, income support should be tied to higher output, increased yields, and improved productivity, so that the nation's self-sufficiency ratio for rice can be raised to a more comfortable level of 70 to 80 per cent, with production costs that are competitive with imported rice. A n experts said that more research and extension efforts are needed to raise the income of poor farmers through yield and productivity improvements, thereby reducing dependency on government subsidies and income support. The price support for farmers would not affect consumers in which the amount is not passed through, at least for controlled prices, while imported rice is based on market prices determined by supply and demand as well as consumer preferences. Furthermore subsidies are being rationalised from a general to a targeted system, allowing the government greater affordability and fiscal flexibility to sustain subsidy schemes. Economist Dr Geoffrey Williams also said the new floor price for padi would help increase the income of padi farmers and local communities. In the short term, it will keep padi farmers in production. In the long term, it may encourage higher output to take advantage of the higher price, but other factors, such as production costs and market access, are also important. Almost certainly, suppliers, wholesalers, and retailers will complain about higher costs being passed on to consumers. Therefore, strong regulations must be introduced to prevent profiteering. He said that in terms of fiscal impact, the RM150 million in subsidies over six months following the price hike is relatively small and will not affect fiscal policy. However, price controls, floor prices, and subsidies are not long-term solutions. The entire industry must review its production, supply chain, and business model to ensure sustainable incomes for farmers, as well as higher supply and yields to keep prices affordable for consumers. In local media t=reported that earlier today, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, during the Prime Minister's Question Time in the Dewan Rakyat, announced that a new floor price for padi would be revealed next week. Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu is set to present a Cabinet paper on the price adjustment. He said the government would allocate an additional RM150 million in subsidies over six months following the price hike, stressing that any price increase for farmers would not result in higher costs for consumers. On Jan 27, 2025 the Malaysian Padi Farmers Brotherhood Organisation (Pesawah) and around 300 farmers from the peninsula called for immediate government intervention to raise the padi floor price to RM1,800 from the current RM1,300. Thanks!. M Anem,
Senior Agronomist,
Malacca City,
Malacca, Malaysia.
February 2025.
RECENTLY The Malaysian Government has adjusted the floor price of padi to RM1,500 per tonne, effective February 16, 2025, to help farmers absorb rising production costs and maintain the price of local white rice at RM2.60 per kg. Before reported that padi farmers bear rising service cost says a NGO group known as Pesawah. Reported that farmers are still incurring losses, with service costs reaching up to 55% despite the adjustment of the padi floor price, says the Malaysian Padi Farmers Brotherhood Organisation (Pesawah). Its chairman, Abdul Rashid Yob, said this is due to the pricing of retail diesel based on market rates in which has increased by RM1.20. Hence, farmers must bear the rising costs of machinery, ploughing, and padi harvesting. He said that service provider rates varied by region. For example, the rental cost of padi harvesting machines in Kedah used to be RM120 per 'relung' (0.71111 of an acre) but was now RM230'. This is not regulated by the government, and farmers must absorb the overall service costs. Reported that seven months have passed, and the government has yet to take action to provide 'fleet cards' or incentives following the announcemen in which last Thursday, the government announced that the padi floor price would be adjusted from RM1,300 to RM1,500 per metric tonne, effective tomorrow. Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu also announced that the price of local white rice would remain at RM2.60 a kilogramme in the market. And to maintain this price, the government must bear production costs amounting to RM150 million over the next six months. This article in "Anim Agriculture Technology" blog I rewrite few articles regarding an issue on padi production cosat in Malaysia fir readings.
A group og padi growers known as 'Pesawah' head said that if the government could allocate RM150 million in subsidies to millers, there should be no issue with increasing subsidies for farmers. The padi industry falls under Act 522, which is strictly regulated, meaning both padi and rice prices are controlled. Since both are controlled, the government must provide subsidies to farmers. If the government wants to keep rice prices low, subsidies must be increased to offset rising costs. They hope the government will introduce a new model for the padi industry. However, tr revised padi floor price falls short of farmers' expectations as claim bya Pesawah ( The Malaysian Padi Farmers Brotherhood Organisation (Pesawah) in which they has expressed its gratitude to the government for revising the floor price of padi purchase from RM1,300 per metric tonne to RM1,500. Its chairman, Abdul Rashid Yob, expressed disappointment that the revised floor price did not meet the farmers' expectation of RM1,800 per metric tonne. Pesawah expresses its gratitude for the revised padi floor price announced by the Agriculture and Food Security Minister today in Parliament. However, we are disappointed as the revision is insufficient to cover rising costs caused by the removal of diesel subsidies and the increase in seed prices in 2024. This announcement does not meet our aspirations and meet their expectations in which is to set the padi floor price at RM1,800 (per metric tonne). Pesawah urged the ministry to reconsider the farmers' demands and to take more concrete steps to assist the farmers.
They propose an additional RM300 padi incentive (for each metric tonne) to be given to farmers, in addition to the RM1,500 floor price that has been announced. We are also calling for a reduction in the certified paddy seed price from RM58 to RM35 (per bag of 20kg) in which was the original price before the increase in March 2024. The justification for the seed price increase at that time was the prevailing padi purchase price (not the floor price), which was RM1,700 as offered by millers. Since the purchase price has since decreased, the seed price should also be adjusted accordingly. They added that the farmers' demand for the padi floor price to be revised to RM1,800 is reasonable and well-founded. It takes into account the rising cost of living, increased diesel and seed costs, and various other challenges faced by farmers in ensuring the sustainability of national padi production. We hope the government will listen to and understand our plight. We are the backbone of the nation's food production. Without adequate support, how can we continue to produce padi to meet the needs of Malaysians". Rashid said that out of the billions of ringgit in subsidies injected by the government, only 20 per cent reached the farmers directly in the form of a padi price incentive. The remaining subsidies mentioned by the honourable Minister in Parliament today primarily benefit vendors supplying seeds, agricultural inputs, and machinery services. The core issue with subsidies is the fact that rice prices have not been reviewed for 17 years. This is why subsidies have increased every year to absorb controlled rice prices. Padi subsidies are not an act of government generosity but a government obligation because rice prices are regulated.
Earlier today, Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu announced a revised padi floor price from RM1,300 per metric tonne to RM1,500, effective this Sunday. Mohamad informed the Dewan Rakyat that the decision was taken considering the rising costs of wages, agricultural input, and the impact on rice production costs. He also announced that the government would maintain the price of local white rice at RM2.60 per kg, with RM150 million allocated to absorb production costs over the next six months. In January, 2025 Pesawah urged the government to revise the padi floor price to RM1,800, considering the increase in operating costs for padi farmers since 2023. In other report stated that 'Govt to allocate RM150mil in subsidies to offset padi price hike' as told bye Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu is set to present Cabinet papers next week regarding the price increase for padi. A new floor price for padi will be announced next week, as Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu is set to present cabinet papers on the price adjustment. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the government will allocate an additional RM150 million in subsidies over six months following the price hike. He emphasised that any price increase for farmers would not result in higher costs for consumers. Government do not want prices to rise for consumers. For now, I have discussed this with the Finance Ministry to ensure the government continues to provide additional subsidies so that local rice prices for consumers remain unaffected. The government will bear an additional RM150 million in subsidies for six months, and this decision will be finalised soon. On Jan 27, 2025 the Malaysian Padi Farmers Brotherhood Organisation (Pesawah) and around 300 farmers from the peninsula called for immediate government intervention to raise the padi floor price to RM1,800 from the current RM1,300. A memorandum, too, had been handed to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's political secretary, Chan Ming Kai, at Perdana Putra on the same day. Meanwhile, responding to the submitted memorandum, he said he welcomes it and has reviewed it together with the Agriculture and Food Security Minister, assuring that the matter will be addressed. Thanks. M Anem,
Senior Agronomist,
Malacca City,
Malacca,
Malaysia.
(Febuary 2025).
PADDY (Oryza sativa) in Malaysia was grown as an important crop for about 600,000 ha annually. Paddy or unmilled rice is Malaysia's third most important cultivated crop after oil palm and rubber. Malaysia produces more than 2.43 million tons of paddy annually in which is equivalent to around 1.68 million tons of rice. In 2023 reported that the production volume of paddy was approximately 2.17 million metric tons form various states especially from granary area. However some factors including uncertain weather, pest attacks cited as among factors for low padi yields in Malaysia. For few years recently reporteg that uncertain weather patterns combined with the effects of pest attacks have been identified as among the factors that inflicted the country's padi yields production during the past three harvesting seasons. This article I like to write about some factors affected paddy yield in Malaysia.
The country's padi yields currently reported as registered a drop of between an estimated 3 - 5% since early last year in which in turn reduced the supply of white rice in the local market by almost 10%. Acusations that the rice supply shortage in the market was due to the irresponsible action of rice millers or wholesalers hoarding their supply of the staple food. Suspected that the shortage was the result of some case irresponsible action by some rice wholesalers who engaged in price manipulations by switching the labels of the rice from local to imported. Such tactics are believed to be happening since there is no mechanism to regulate or control the price of imported rice. On the other hand, the price of local rice has been set at RM26 for the 10kg bag as reported by the New Straits Times Press (NSTP). There are also blamed other factors which resulted in the reduction of padi yields in the country. Among them included lands meant for padi fields being used for other purposes such as housing and industrial area. The drop in padi yield is an issue that must be addressed by the respective state governments immediately. It was reported that Malaysians may need to fork out an extra RM21 a month on imported white rice following the move by Padiberas Nasional Bhd (Bernas) to increase by 36% from RM2,350 per metric tonne to RM3,200 the price of the product recently. A wholeller said the rise meant a RM7 price hike for a 10kg bag of rice and it was a base calculation on a family of five. Following this, the Agriculture and Food Security Ministry has instructed padi millers and rice wholesalers to increase the supply of local white rice by 20%, through the Local White Rice Special Programme and to restore supply in the market. The ministry said the request had been agreed upon by padi millers and rice wholesalers in a joint engagement session with the North Zone Rice Manufacturers and Rice Wholesalers Industry on Aug 27 in Alor Star, Kedah recently. Through this approach Bernas will give the additional quota professionally.
In other issue reported that 'Many paddy farmers have health problems due to improper use of pesticide' related to this topic. Many of those working in the agriculture sector, especially paddy farmers, were found to have signs of health problems due to improper use of pesticide. According to the Department of Occupational Safety and Health and Health (DOSH) director-general said the findings were based on a recent research on the exposure of agriculture chemicals among paddy farmers in the Peninsular Malaysia by selected researches from Universiti Utara Malaysia. The research also revealed that a large number of paddy farmers were found to have not received any kind of training on the proper use of pesticides. Among the farmers, information on the proper use of pesticide was usually obtained from the pesticide sellers or other farmers. NST reported that the farmers were also found to be unaware of the hazard and risk of not using the pesticide properly and many ignore the importance on the proper and complete clothing and protective equipment. As a result, they are exposed to various health risks. They noted that the agriculture sector recorded the second highest in the country on cases involving industrial accidents, after manufacturing. Issue on last year in which there were a total of 42 deaths, nine cases involving permanent disability and 441 cases involving temporary disability throughout the country in the agriculture sector alone. There were a total of two deaths reported, two cases involving permanent disability and 69 cases involving temporary disability throughout the country. In Kedah alone, there were seven cases involving temporary disability last year and five cases this year. There are few programme to provide the farmers and breeders with the knowledge on the research done and the proper use of pesticide, among others.
Local media reported in which 'CAP concerns over KADA rice yield decline' relevan to this article. The arid condition of the padi fields in the Kemubu Agricultural Development Authority (KADA) area has affected the income of farmers, leading to a decline in the country's rice production. The Consumers' Association of Penang (CAP) has urged the Agriculture and Food Security Ministry to take immediate action to overcome the problems faced by padi farmers in the Kemubu Agricultural Development Board (KADA) in Kelantan. Actually this action is necessary to boost their income and the country's rice production. According to CAP president known as Mohideen Abdul Kader said besides infrastructure being one of the causes of the decline in rice yields in KADA, the depletion of rice padi land due to the implementation of development projects also contributed to the lack of rice yield in the area. He said other contributing factors included threat of floods, droughts, pest attacks and loose rice padi soil. While the rice yield in the area exceeded the national average of 4.1 metric tonnes per hectare, he said KADA still lagged behind Selangor's yield of 4.32 metric tonnes, the Muda Agricultural Development Authority (MADA)'s 4.24 metric tonnes, and Penang's 5.05 metric tonnes per hectare. The imperfect irrigation system and its ineffective functioning of it have caused several padi fields in KADA to face imminent threat. Many rice stalks are stunted in growth and destroyed due to episodes of drought and floods. In May 2023 reported that about 7,800ha of rice crops in the (KADA) area were affected due to the hot weather in Kelantan. And in December the same year, KADA suffered a RM17 million loss due to the destruction of rice stalks inundated by flood waters. In 2022, due to problems with the drainage system, 1,000ha of padi land became loose and KADA lost 4,200 metric tonnes of rice. This incident is of great concern to CAP and if it is not dealt with immediately, more padi land will not be able to be cultivated and will be abandoned. In order to save the future source of income and livelihood of 7,648 padi farmers and maintain the 25,149 hectares of padi fields in KADA, CAP hoped that the ministry would take immediate action on the causes of the problems. CAP also urged the departments and agencies involved to pay serious attention to the effects of pesticides and the usage of heavy machinery that could threaten the environment and affect padi fields. CAP believes that if the problems continue, not only will the KADA padi farmers experience hardship, but the food supply for the people and the country's agricultural sector will also be affected. It was reported last month that KADA had taken the proactive step of providing an additional 150 units of pumps this year to overcome the anticipated water supply challenges caused by the El Nino phenomenon. KADA said these pumps would be deployed according to farmers' current needs, covering 26,000ha of padi fields across six KADA padi planting districts. Thanks. M Anem,
Malacca,
Malaysia.
(December 2024).
THE MALAYSIAN oil palm as key role in global food security as reported in many articles recently in local media. Actually, the th Palm Oil produced in Malaysia and this region are known for its versatility that serves as a widely consumed vegetable oil worldwide and is an important ingredient in the food industry. It is mainly used as a cooking oil and also in various food applications, including margarines, spreads, confectionary fats, ice cream, pizza, doughnuts, chocolate, and emulsifiers. Palm Oil are known for its versatility, serves as a widely consumed vegetable oil worldwide, is an important ingredient in the food industry. It is mainly used as a cooking oil and also in various food applications, including margarines, spreads, confectionary fats, ice cream, pizza, doughnuts, chocolate, and emulsifiers. The world's population is growing and the United Nations estimates it to reach 8.0 billion in 2022, 8.5 billion in 2030, 9.7 billion in 2050 and 10.4 billion in 2100. Hundreds of million people do not have enough food to eat, with the vast majority of them living in developing countries. Developing countries including Malaysia are facing the growing threat of increasing food insecurity. Malaysia scored moderately for hunger in the 2022 Global Hunger Index, recording 12.5 in 2022 from 10.9 in 2014, likely corresponding to a rise in food insecurity because of the Covid-19 pandemic. This article in "Anim Agriculture Technology" I like to share a topic about oil palm in Malaysia as a key role in the global food security relation.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), food security is achieved when every individual, at any given moment, possesses the physical and economic means to acquire an ample supply of safe, nutritious food that aligns with their dietary requirements and as many preferences, enabling a healthy and active lifestyle. There are four main dimensions of food security, namely availability, access, utilisation, and stability. Palm oil has been playing a key role in addressing global food security. Palm oil is one of the edible oils recognised by the FAO and the World Health Organization (WHO). It is a versatile ingredient used in a wide range of products including cooking oil, margarine, baked goods, snacks and processed foods. Its versatility contributes to the diversity of food options to consumers. Among all vegetable oil crops, the productivity of oil palm is the highest. Oil palm has a long life span, between 25 and 30 years with production every month throughout the year. Therefore, the supply of palm oil is stable and has the largest share of production in world vegetable oil production. There is a significant growth in population, especially in the least developed countries while the amount of arable land per person is shrinking with a projected decline of 0.38 hectares in 1970 to 0.15 hectares per person by 2050. On the other hand, the world's consumption of vegetable oils has more than doubled in the past two decades, from 87 million tonnes in 2000/2001 to 237.5 million tonnes in 2020. Palm oil is the only vegetable oil that can feed the growing population. This is because it tops the list of oil crops for yield as it needs less than one-eighth as much land as soy to produce the same quantity of oil. Palm oil accounts for six percent of all cultivated land for oil crops globally but produces over one-third of the total output.
In Malaysia reported that the Malaysia Palm Oil Board (MPOB) conducts research and development activities to improve palm oil production, quality and sustainability. Its research findings lead to more efficient and sustainable practices, enhancing food security. Researchers at the MPOB continue to work on developing new food products and animal feed formulations that incorporate palm oil. They play a crucial role in supporting the oil palm industry's contribution to the global food supply while addressing key issues related to quality, safety, nutrition and sustainability. In the aspect of price, palm oil is cost effective and hence, more affordable compared to other vegetable oils. Palm oil is more affordable for the food industry and for the community with a lower income. The production of palm oil is also sustainable and environmentally friendly. Malaysia, being the world's second largest producer of palm oil, has carried a global leadership role to ensure this. Malaysia adopts the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) Agenda 2030 and has reaffirmed its commitment to implementing these agenda as primary framework to drive higher sustainability commitment within the country's oil palm industry. This can be reflected in its national development blueprint, the 12th Malaysia Plan. MPOB aligns its activities with the UNSDGs, emphasising sustainability, environmental responsibility and social well-being. These efforts contribute to global food security and the achievement of broader development goals. MPOB's sustainable forest management practices and conservation efforts help protect vital ecosystems, ensuring the sustainability of food production. The country introduced the Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) certification scheme in 2015, a requirement for its oil palm industry. The MSPO Standards were revised in 2022 and contain five principles, based on the three pillars of sustainability, namely, economically viable, socially acceptable, and environmentally sound. The MSPO is a dynamic initiative to ensure the productivity of our palm oil continues to rise in the long run. The certification sees that plantation owners and smallholders do not compromise the sustainability of the environment. Malaysia is committed to protecting its forests, flora and fauna through conservation and sustainable management. In 1992, the country pledged to preserve 50% of its landmass under forest and tree cover at the 1992 Rio Earth Summit. The country also participated in the Leaders' Declaration on Forest and Land Use and the Global Methane Pledge at the 26th Conference of Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC COP-26) held in Glasgow, United Kingdom in November 2021, reflecting its commitment to conserve and sustainably manage its forests and protect its flora and fauna. Malaysia's efforts to protect its forests and biodiversity are integral to maintaining a stable and sustainable food supply. By safeguarding ecosystems, promoting sustainable land management, and mitigating climate change, Malaysia contributes to its own food security and plays a part in global efforts to ensure food security for all. With its advantages in availability, affordability, and sustainability, palm oil plays a pivotal role in addressing food security for the world. Source: MPOB, Bernama and NST. Thanks...... M Anem,
Putrajaya,
Malaysia.
(January 2025).
RESEARCH RELATED DONE to investigate the platelet increasing property of Carica Papaya Leaves Juice (CPLJ) in patients with Dengue Fever (DF) recently. An open labeled randomized controlled trial was carried out on 228 patients with DF and Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever (DHF). Reported that approximately half the patients received the juice, for 3 consecutive days while the others remained as controls and received the standard management. Their full blood count was monitored 8 hours for 48 hours. Comparison of mean platelet count between intervention and control group showed that mean platelet count in intervention group was significantly higher than control group. This article in "Anim Agriculture Technology'' blog I am happy to share a study regarding this research.
The results stated that a total of 145 patients were recruited into the interventional group while 145 patients were recruited into the control group. At the end of the study, 111 patients from the interventional group and 117 controls were included in the statistical analysis. Sixty-two patients were excluded from the analysis as 38 patients were lost to followup and 24 patients had incomplete data (missing results due to sample rejection). The demographic characteristics and baseline biochemistry investigation of respondents by treatment. In terms of dengue status, all patients recruited had either dengue NS1 or IgM or both detected, while the percentage distribution of the dengue serotypes among them was DEN1 (30.4%), DEN2 (28.4%), DEN 3 (20.6%), and DEN 4 (20.6%). Hence, all serotypes were well represented in the study. Stydy also found thar presents the multiple comparisons of mean platelet count 8 hours after admission with mean platelet count at 16, 24, 32, 40, and 48 hours after admission for interventional and control group Multiple paired t-test was conducted to demonstrate if there was any significant difference in mean platelet count for each comparison. Hence, Bonferroni correction was applied to reduce the possibility of rejecting a true null hypothesis (committing a type 1 error). Based on the number of patients recruited with complete data (111 patients from the intervention group and 117 control), the power of study was 87.0% (standard deviation of platelet count of 40,000, type I error probability of 0.01, and the true difference in mean platelet count of 20,000 between the intervention and control group). Overall, there was a significant increase in mean platelet count over 40 hours in both groups. The study conducted shows that there is a rationale behind the use of CPLJ in the treatment of some of DF and DHF. It is definitely worth investigating this plant for its potential medicinal benefits. With rapid urbanization and global travel leading to drastic demographic changes, dengue is a threat to almost 40% of the world's population. There is still no specific treatment for dengue. Previous attempts to identify a potential antiviral for the treatment of dengue has been faced with several challenges such as the presence of four distinct viral serotypes which frequently undergo mutations, finding an appropriate model for infection and protective action of a given drug as well as yield interesting therapeutic avenues for tailored response modifier drugs. The current available mouse model (AG129) available has its limitations such as low viral load and a short period of viraemia. The journey to drug discovery through the study of immune-modulatory effects against dengue infection lies on the research of generic compounds and natural products.
Research groups around Asia have attempted to study the efficacy of CPLJ in rapidly increasing platelet counts in DF as well as DHF induced thrombocytopenia but there has been no conclusive evidence drawn from those studies. Dengue is generally a self-limiting disease and the disease induced thrombocytopenia usually reverses itself after taking a slight dip during the phase of defervescence. However, a significant number of patients succumb to the disease during the thrombocytopenic period. Many mechanisms come into play during the critical phase of the disease to help reverse the disease state at this point. Animal studies in elucidating safety data have been conducted on normal Sprague Dawley rats using freeze dried CPLJ; however, no significant increase in platelet count was observed among the rats given the juice and the rats kept as control. This was probably due to the fact that the juice was freeze dried and certain essential compounds could have been lost during the process of freeze drying or perhaps the right disease model was not used for the study. Haematocrit level, which is an important parameter which is usually monitored to determine the rate of improvement in haemoconcentration, was found to be significantly reduced in both groups of people. White Blood cell count which is found to be reduced in viral infections was also found to increase in both groups.
The RNA was extracted from the blood of the patients recruited and gene expression of two genes, namely, the ALOX 12 and the PTAFR which were conducted so far. There was a 15-fold increase in the ALOX 12 gene activity among the patients in the experimental group as compared to those in the control group at the end of the 3 days. ALOX 12 is known to be associated with increased megakaryocyte production as well as its conversion to platelets through 12-HETE mediated pathway which in turn leads to increased platelet production. A study was conducted at the Royal College of Surgeons, Ireland, to determine the platelet specific genes. The Alox 12 gene was highly expressed in platelets and found to be a platelet specific gene by McRedmond et al. A study conducted in Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia provided evidence that ALOX12 is a direct target of transcription factor RUNX1 in megakaryocytes and platelets. RUNX1 is a transcription factor that regulates the expression of haemopoietic-specific genes. When there is RUNX1 haplodeficiency, it affects overall haemopoiesis and hence, ALOX 12 expression in platelets is decreased. There was also an agonist-induced decreased 12-HETE production in platelets with the decrease in ALOX 12 expression. This provides further evidence that platelet production is associated with ALOX 12 expression. claim that the juice consumption during the course of dengue infection has the potential to induce the rapid production of platelets. This was clearly demonstrated by the significant increase in the mean platelet count after 40 hours and 48 hours of juice consumption. The PTAFR gene which is known to be responsible for increased platelet production and aggregation was expressed 13.42-folds among the patients who consumed the juice as compared to the control group indicating that the juice had played an important role in addressing the arresting of bleeding tendencies among these patients. A study conducted in Brazil showed that injection of Platelet Activating Factor (PAF/PTAFR) in mice induced an increase in platelet count. However, after a certain level, further administration of PAF failed to induce platelet production indicating autosensitization. These findings show that PAF/PTAFR can induce the release of platelets which may be relevant to thrombocytosis . We are currently investigating many other genes to determine other roles of the CPLJ other than its role in platelet production and activation. As all plants C. papaya leaves are rich in compounds of different properties. Further studies need to be conducted before determining the inflammatory pathways affected by the juice, unopposed. However, it can be concluded that the administration of CPLJ in DF and DHF is safe and does induce the rapid increase in platelet count. It may play a valuable role in the management of DF in the near future. Thanks...M Anem,
Senior Agronomist,
Malacca City,
Malacca,
Malaysia.
(Febuary 2025).
RESEARCH RELATED DONE to investigate the platelet increasing property of Carica Papaya Leaves Juice (CPLJ) in patients with Dengue Fever (DF) recently. An open labeled randomized controlled trial was carried out on 228 patients with DF and Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever (DHF). Reported that approximately half the patients received the juice, for 3 consecutive days while the others remained as controls and received the standard management. Their full blood count was monitored 8 hours for 48 hours. Comparison of mean platelet count between intervention and control group showed that mean platelet count in intervention group was significantly higher than control group. This article in "Anim Agriculture Technology'' blog I am happy to share a study regarding this research.
It's good to know that in Malaysia is blessed with 12,000 species of flowering plants of which 1,300 have medicinal properties. There is a rapidly growing response to the use of medicinal plants by the Malaysian population. WHO estimates that in many countries 80% of the rural patients seek few alternative treatments using medicinal plants. Betik or Carica papaya is a member of the Caricaceae and criteria include the plant as a dicotyledonous, polygamous, and diploid species. It originated from Southern Mexico, Central America, and the northern part of South America. It is now cultivated in many tropical countries such as Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, and the West Indies including Malaysia. Malaysia is known to be one of the top 5 papaya exporting countries. The papaya fruit is globally consumed either in its fresh form or the form of juices, jams, and crystallized dry fruit. The ripe fruit is said to be a rich source of vitamin A, C, and calcium. There are many commercial products derived from the different parts of the C. papaya plant, the most prominent being papain and chymopapain, which is produced from the latex of the young fruit, stem, and the leaves. C. papaya leaves have been used in folk medicine for centuries. Recent studies have shown its beneficial effect as an anti-inflammatory agent reported for its wound healing properties, antitumour as well as immune-modulatory effects and as an antioxidant. A toxicity study (acute, subacute, and chronic toxicity) conducted on Sprague Dawley rats administered with Carica papaya leaves juice (CPLJ) of the sekaki variant revealed that it was safe for oral consumption.
Dengue is an arthropod-borne viral disease carried by Aedes aegypti as the vector, caused by 4 possible viral serotypes, namely, serotype 1, 2, 3, and 4 of the Flaviviridae family. In Malaysia, dengue cases have been on the rise since 2002. Total of 18,371 cases of dengue fever (DF) and dengue haemorrhagic fever (DHF) were reported last year and had claimed 33 lives in the same year. There is no specific antiviral drug available for the treatment of dengue infection. Infected patients receive supportive management with fluids, blood and blood, products complying to the Ministry of Health Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPGs) on Management of Dengue, 2010. Each episode of infection is known to induce a life-long protective immunity to the homologous serotype but confers only partial and transient protection against subsequent infection by the other serotypes. Secondary infection is a major risk factor for DHF possibly due to antibody-dependent enhancement. A patient with dengue fever presents typically with fever, headache, and rash known as the dengue triad. There are many other nonspecific signs and symptoms associated with DF and patient can progress to DHF and typically manifests as abdominal pain, bleeding, and even circulatory collapse. The clinical course of dengue has an abrupt onset followed by three phases, namely, the febrile phase, the critical phase and the recovery phase. It is during the critical phase that thrombocytopaenia, characterized by a decrease in platelet count below 100 000 per mm3 from the baseline and haemoconcentration, characterized by an increase of haematocrit by 20% or more, is detectable before the subsidence of fever and the onset of shock.
The study stated that certain genes have been shown to influence platelet production and platelet aggregation, namely, the Arachidonate 12-lipoxygenase (ALOX 12) also known as the Platelet-type Lipoxygenase as well as the Platelet-Activating Factor Receptor (PTAFR). An increase in activity of these genes is required for platelet production and activation. The ALOX 12 gene is strongly expressed in megakaryocytes and has been known to be responsible for the 12-Hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (12-HETE) production of platelets. The PTAFR gene was been found to be expressed in megakaryocytes indicating that it could be a precursor for platelet production in addition to its well known role in platelet aggregation. Safety studies based on OECD guidelines for acute, subacute, and chronic toxicity were conducted on C. papaya extract and showed that it was found to be safe for human consumption. The present study was conducted to determine and investigate the traditional claim that CPLJ increases the platelet count in patients with DF and DHF. This article are in two segment that was Part1 and Part 2 respectively. Thanks.... M Anem,
Senior Agronomist,
Malacca City,
Malacca,
Mlaysia.
Febuary 2025).
