Kenaf The Ideal Replacement For Tobacco

Source from:  By Nor Adilah Ali KOTA BAHARU, Oct 3 (Bernama) 10/06/2008

Kenaf is set to be the alternative crop for tobacco as the some 5,000 tobacco growers in the country are expected to be badly affected when The ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) regulations are in place by 2010. Under the AFTA, there will be reduction in the price and import duty of tobacco. Meanwhile, Kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus) is a tropical plant of the mallow family that yields a fibre resembling jute that can be used for the production of cordage and textiles. Kenaf can be harvested after 120 days and its planting cycle is three seasons annually. TOBACCO ALTERNATIVE According to National Tobacco Board (NTB) Chairman, Datuk Mohd Zain Ismail said, the pioneer batch of Kenaf-growing farmers in Kelantan have proven that the crop is a good alternative to tobacco that has became less competitive in the plantation industry. Mohd Zain said, Malaysia is expected to export 50,000 tonnes of Kenaf annually, valued at RM15 billion, from next year. This would make Kenaf the countrys major commodity by the year 2010, he said, adding that the Republic of Korea is expected to be the first importing country for Malaysias Kenaf, at 50,000 tonnes a year. According to Mohd Zain the Kenaf-planting project, that is capable of producing 15,000 tonnes of Kenaf per hectare, provides the tobacco farmers an alternative source of income when the AFTA is enforced. FIBRES Under the projects initial phase, some 1,000 hectares of land would be planted with Kenaf including 700 hectares in Kelantan, said Mohd Zain. Meanwhile, the Kenaf Unit Head for the Kelantan-branch of the NTB, Aizwan Azmi, said at the world current price of RM500 a tonne, a Kenaf grower who produce 15 tonnes of the crop per hectare stand to earn good money from this crop. He said two Kenaf-processing mills were constructed at Air Tawar in Pasir Puteh and Beris Lalang (Bachok). "The mill which is equipped with RM600,000 worth of machinery is able to process 10 tonnes of Kenaf during eight hours of operations daily", he said. Aizwan said the processed Kenaf is exported to Germany and Korea. Enditem