By HAMDAN RAJA ABDULLAH
newsdesk@thestar.com.my
Mentri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman said the Johor Bio-Tech Valley had attracted some RM345mil in investments, and is expected to yield products valued at RM1.005bil by 2020.
“It will be the first agricultural project to fully produce bio-organic food products in the country,” he said after launching the Johor Bio-Technology Carnival 2011 here yesterday.
The project, which started in 2008, includes agro-farming, animal breeding, aqua-culture and swiftlet farming.
Abdul Ghani, who was accompanied by Johor Bio-Technology Corporation chief executive officer Datuk Dr Haris Salleh, said 18 companies had invested in the valley.
He said a company from Klang had started a freshwater fish breeding project on a 161ha plot and a bumiputra company would set up a marine fish breeding project on a 120ha plot.
“A total of100 swiftlet bird homes have also been planned in the valley and the public can participate by buying shares at RM10,000 per unit,'' he said.
Earlier, Dr Haris said the four-day carnival was aimed at creating awareness on the benefits of bio-technology and bio-diversity to mankind and the environment.
“Every project in the valley will have its own research and development unit and all project areas will have their own buffer zone using the bio-security system.
“There will be canals separating the projects and trees, including pepper plants, will be planted along the canals to act as insect repellents,” he said.
At the same time the state had also set up a special bio-technology industrial park called the Bio-Excel Park in Nusajaya for industries related to bio-technology, Dr Haris added.
SOURCE: THE STAR, JUNE 25, 2011
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