KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 17 (Bernama) -- The Ministry of Agriculture andAgro-Based Industries has identified agriculture food production as anengine of economic growth on par with the contribution from the oil palmand rubber sector.

17/2/05 Oilmandi - BOOMING trade in soyabean and derivatives in recentyears has left wheat and coarse grains behind.

15/02/05 Klang - GOLDEN Hope Plantations Bhd will focus on Indonesia,particularly Kalimantan Barat, in expanding its oil palm acreage thisyear.

17/2/05 India - IN RAISING THE Customs duty on the palm group of oils by15 percentage points and reducing their tariff values to reflectinternational market conditions, the Government has in one masterstroketried to balance the interests of oilseed growers and consumers. Whetherthe Finance Minister, Mr P. Chidambaram, could have waited to make thechanges a part of the around-the-corner Budget may be debatable; but therationale of his action cannot be faulted. Indeed, it is positive for allstakeholders, including growers, consumers and processing industry. Whilethe changes are revenue positive, they are nearly neutral as far asconsumer prices are concerned. The psychological effect of the duty hikeis sure to support rapeseed/mustard prices that have been ruling wellbelow the minimum support price of Rs 1,700 a quintal. The processingindustry can have nothing to complain about because it will recover theadditional duty burden from consumers. So far so good.

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 16 (Bernama) -- Three important areas would have to besorted out before the listing of Felda Holding Sdn Bhd can take place onBursa Malaysia, said Group Chairman of Kumpulan Felda, Tan Sri Dr MohdYusof Noor, Wednesday.

16//2005 Business Times (Malaysia) - GOLDEN Hope Plantations Bhd will seekapproval from minority shareholders of Negara Properties (M) Bhd to mergethe latter with Island & Peninsular Bhd (I&P). Negara Properties is 62.6per cent-owned by Golden Hope. Golden Hope group chief executive DatukSabri Ahmad said interest of the minority is best served by merging theproperty businesses of Negara Properties with I&P's.

JAKARTA, Feb 17 Asia Pulse - Indonesia's exports of crude palm oil (CPO)to India are expected to fall short of expectations after the latterraised import duties on the commodity to 80 per cent, up from 65 per centearlier.

NEW DELHI, Feb 16 (Bernama) -- With the hike in duty and raising of thetariff value (value on which duty is charge) the effective incidence ofduty on crude pal m oil has gone up by US$24.90 (US$1=RM3.8) a tonne andon crude palmolein by US$17.25 a tonne.

Thursday February 17, 2005 - FOR more than 20 years, Ivan Wong was theseer of Malaysia's palm oil industry, forecasting crop yields afterwalking through snake-infested plantations to count fruit bunches and tostudy soil conditions.

2/17/2005 Bangkok Post - Nestle (Thai) Co has introduced a coconutmilk-like cream which it hopes to substitute for a traditional basicingredient in Thai cooking.