INDONESIA WANTS TO HOUSE SEED BANK

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 26 (Bernama) -- The Indonesian Chambers of Commerce and
Industry (ICCI) has proposed that the D8 Umbrella Seed Bank be housed in
Indonesia.

ICCI Vice-Chairman for Food Security Standing Committee Suharyo Husen said
Indonesia had the experience and knowledge in managing a seed bank facility.

Indonesia, one of the D8 member countries, currently operates the Indonesian
National Seed Buffer Stock in Jakarta.

Suharyo said cooperation from the D8 member countries, international bodies
such as the Europe Initiatives Regional Innovation Strategies (IRIS) and the
Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations would be sought to
manage the proposed D8 seed bank.

"Now, we are only handling three types of seeds, whereas the D8 had proposed
eight commodities to be stored in the seed bank for commercial purposes," he
told Bernama on the sidelines of the Business Leaders Meeting, which is held in
conjunction with D8 Ministers' Meeting on Food Security, here Wednesday.

The eight commodities were rice, wheat, corn, soya bean, sunflower, potato,
cannola and cassava, he said.

Besides Indonesia, the other D-8 countries are Malaysia, Bangladesh,
Pakistan, Iran, Turkey, Egypt and Nigeria.

Suharyo said Wednesday's meeting went satisfactorily and the private sectors
were hoping to get government incentives in aspects such as the regulations
in terms of tax and permit, financial assistance, training and human capacity.

-- BERNAMA