1ST ASEAN SAGO SYMPOSIUM 2009 (1ST ASAS 2009)

Sago palm (Metroxylon spp.) is one of the major crops that contributed significantly to the economy of ASEAN. The scope of the Symposium includes the board scope in the discipline and research in sago plantation.

Symposium Theme: Current Trend and Development in Sago Research

Sago palm (Metroxylon spp.) is one of the major crops that contributed significantly to the economy of ASEAN. It is the major species that capable of surviving well in the tropical lowland and peat swamp forests that covers most of the lands in South East Asia such as Sarawak in Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philipines, Indonesia and Thailand. Due to its uniqueness, sago palm is considered the only crop that is capable of giving profitable and sustainable economic return on peat swamps. Metroxylon sagu Rottb. is reported as one of the highest starch yielding crops and since then, sago palm has been exploited intensively for agricultural plantation and industrial utilization. Besides starch being the main product of sago palm which is then converted to other materials in downstream processing, other part this plant has also been used in various ways such as for furniture and fertilizers.

Elsewhere in the ASEAN region, apart from rice, sago also plays an important role as the main source of starch for human consumption. The world consumption of sago starch lies between 200,000 to 300,000 tons per annum and accounts for about 3% of the total world market which is dominated by corn, potato and tapioca starches. However, current development in sago research may put sago as the food source of the future.

The scope of the Symposium includes the board scope in the discipline and research in sago plantation. The components are Agronomy and Agriculture Sciences, Microbiology and Molecular Biology, Waste Management and Starch Utilization, Biotechnology, Economy and Social Studies, Sago Starch Chemistry and others related fields.

For more information, please click on the link below.

Location : Riverside Majestic Hotel, Kuching, Sarawak, MALAYSIA
Contact : The Secretariat - Tel: +60 82 581034 or +60 82 582960, Fax: +60 82 583160, E-mail: [email protected]

From 29 Oct 2009
Until 30 Oct 2009
Kuching, Sarawak,
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