Ketum plantations: Govt needs to conduct in-depth study — Academicians

KUALA LUMPUR: An in- depth study and total enforcement need to be established before ketum trees are allowed to be planted on a commercial scale, said academicians.

Cluster Committee for Agriculture and Food of the National Professors Council, Prof Dr Abdul Shukor Juraimi said these were important measures to control the abuse of the leaves which could be detrimental to health.

“In-depth research scientifically needs to be carried out beforehand, as I am worried if approval is given, the farmers would steal the opportunity to sell it for the wrong purposes.

“We don’t want to see negative implications upon the community, as the general public would know, the larger the scale it was planted, the easier for those who intend to abuse it to get their supply,” he told Bernama, here, yesterday

He was commenting on the request for approval from RISDA chairman Datuk Zahidi Zainul Abidin to grow ketum trees on a commercial scale to help increase income of farmers.

Dr Abdul Shukor said the responsible bodies, in this case, need to run research and development on the plant to prove it’s benefits to the health of the public.

Concurring with him was the training director of the Malaysian Muslim Consumers Association Dr Izham Nayan who also suggested that the government to look at the proposal comprehensively to avoid any long term implications towards the public and the country.

He pointed out that it was common knowledge that the plant with its scientific name Mitragyna Speciosa Korth has often been mixed up with other subtances, making those who consumed it to get a ‘high’.

“It is more or less similar as taking drugs, we are concerned on the adverse health effects,” he said, adding that traditionally, ketum is either boiled or chewed as medicine to cure stomach ache, cough, wounds or to improve fitness.

Izham said the effort by RISDA to diversify the income of smallholder which before this depends solely on the rubber tapping was good, but ketum plantation should not be the best alternative.

Meanwhile, the director of the Institute of Agricultural Policy and Food, Putra Infoport, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Professor Dr Fatimah Mohamed Arshad suggested RISDA encourage the farmers to plant plants such as lemon grass, ginger and tongkat ali which could be used to produce traditional medicine such as ‘jamu’.

“In Indonesia, their citizens plant various herbs, which we see were successfull in producing a marketable jamu. They ran research to produce herb-based medicine and it was proven to be successful,” she said.

Fatimah, who is also in the Committee for the Plantation and Food Cluster of NPC, said the temperature in the country is very suitable for herb plantations, thus RISDA should take interest in the factor and encourage the farmers to grow such plants by creating pilot projects. — Bernama