Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek -AZMAN GHANI/The Star
KUALA LUMPUR: The Federal Land Development Authority (Felda) is looking to develop more as a circular economy that has the potential to be the basis of a new approach in strengthening the agency.
The concept of a circular economy is the concept of use, return and recreate to maximise use and yield.
Chairman Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek said Felda will discuss further with the Minister of Plantation and Commodities Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani to implement the approach.
He said Felda has established cooperation regarding the black soldier fly (BSF) which contains high protein as an alternative for livestock feed, thereby reducing dependence on corn and soybeans.
Yesterday, Felda and Abeco Nature Science Sdn Bhd signed a research memorandum of understanding to increase the production of antimicrobial peptides (AMP) and proteins in BSF larvae, which has the potential to become a feed solution with antimicrobial characteristics and high nutritional levels to contribute to the sustainable livestock and aquaculture sector.
"If this BSF can be bred, it can be the basis for the modification of new bran for chicken feed and so on.
"In the past, the palm waste was of very low or no value and we had to hire people to dispose of it, but it can be used as food for the black soldier fly which can be an important basis in developing livestock feed," he said during a press conference at the Felda 2024 Symposium today.
Ahmad Shabery said Malaysia needs at least 200,000 hectares for maize cultivation to meet the country's needs.
"That is bigger than the area of the Muda Agricultural Development Authority (MADA) in Kedah and Perlis. There is no way we have such a large tract of land to produce corn for livestock feed.
"Therefore, through the cyclical economic system, we have new resources to produce fodder that we should be able to produce. This is one of the things we can present in the new system or a new approach in managing the economy," he explained.
He said Felda also sees the potential to develop the biomass field more intensely.
"Biomass can be converted into fertiliser and energy sources. And this should be evaluated as well. These are new incomes that must be thought about together," he added. - Bernama
