Jumat, 07 Juni 2024

In Indonesia, lizard-hunting feeds families – and China's traditional medicine industry - CNA

HARVEST QUOTAS SET

Also known as the common or Asian house gecko (Hemidactylus frenatus), or rumah cicak Asia in Bahasa Indonesia, the lizards are believed to still be abundant, according to a herpetologist and hunters CNA interviewed.

The house lizard is not the only gecko species used for traditional medicine, and the Indonesian government has set quotas for various species.

This year, the catch quota for Asian house geckos is about 2.5 million. The catch quota for the flat-tailed house gecko (Hemidactylus platyurus) is also about 2.5 million, while that for the four-clawed gecko (Gehyra mutilata) is about 2 million.

They can be caught as pets or for consumption, said Dr Satyawan Pudyatmoko, director general of natural resources and ecosystem conservation at the Ministry of Environment and Forestry. 

The three species are allowed to be hunted in the provinces of West Java, Central Java, East Java and Yogyakarta as they have been deemed potential regions of export, said Dr Satyawan. 

He said there are more than five export permit holders who work with small enterprises and hunters in villages. 

“The people in villages help with catching, collecting, sorting (the lizards) according to the size, drying and, finally, packing,” said Dr Satyawan. 

“These activities can be a main or additional source of income.”

The environment ministry did not provide information on export quotas and actual export volumes. 

In the past, actual exports have been found to exceed quotas for certain species such as the Tokay gecko.

From 2013 to 2019, over 79.5 million Tokay geckos were exported by Indonesia based on the Ministry of Trade’s data, vastly exceeding harvest quotas at the time, according to a report last year by Indonesia’s National Research and Innovation Agency and the Ministry of Environment and Forestry.

In addition, only about 1.7 million legal export permits were reported by the environment ministry from 2013 to 2019. 

The disparity was because exporters were not required to obtain a permit from the environment ministry at the time. In 2019, the Tokay gecko was added to Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora for controls to be placed on its trade.

China is a major importer of Tokay geckos, which are thought to be effective in suppressing asthma, relieving coughing and treating diabetes and other ailments.

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2024-06-07 22:00:00Z
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What has changed as Hong Kong marks five years since 2019 protests - CNA

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2024-06-07 12:20:38Z
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Development of hybrid prized melons in Malaysia inspires new generation of young farmers - CNA

OVERCOMING CHALLENGES FROM WEATHER TO FUNDING

These sweet melons are grown in greenhouses on four cycles each year. They thrive in hot weather, and are ready to be harvested in 65 days.
 
In general, hotter weather leads to larger fruits, as the melons suck up more water and nutrients from the ground. 
 
However, farmers said that the unpredictable weather these days poses a constant headache for them.
 
To improve farm operations, technologies such as artificial intelligence are being adopted. They also help to gather useful data to future-proof the industry.
 
The huge potential of Terengganu melons has inspired two female postgraduates - Mazaitul Akma Suhaimi and Norzilawati Fauzi, who both majored in food and biotechnology - to venture into the business.
 
Ms Mazaitul is the founder of Ayana Agrotech, which currently sells about 70 per cent of their produce in and around the capital Kuala Lumpur. 
 
The company hopes to export to the Middle East, as well as Hong Kong and neighbouring Singapore next year. 
 
“The biggest challenge is the fund to start. It’s quite hard if you are new. Fertigation is quite costly,” said Ms Mazaitul, referring to the technique of supplying dissolved fertiliser to crops through an irrigation system. 
 
“We can sell the melons at a good price. It has excellent quality in terms of taste and texture. We must do proper marketing to introduce it to the whole of Malaysia,” she added.

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2024-06-07 04:31:16Z
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Kamis, 06 Juni 2024

Malaysia hopes its Nangchem hybrid premium fruit will prove a juicy hit with China - CNA

According to researchers, jackfruits – also known as nangka in Malaysia and Indonesia – as well as cempedak belong to the same family as breadfruits.

They are some of the most environmentally sustainable species that exist in the wild, and together, they form an important gene bank that can help combat climate change.

“Just one good tree can provide so much fruit, so it's (an) affordable and nutritious food source,” said Ms Maria Wang, sustainability consultant from the Smithsonian Institution, a museum, education, and research complex in the United States.

This spells good news for food security and the environment as well, she added.

“They take in carbon. And they also need less water and fertiliser than annual crops like rice, wheat and corn, and you can eat the seeds,” she said.

Ms Wang noted that like cempedak and jackfruit, Nangchem is perishable and must be consumed within days. 

Developing the technology to export fresh Nangchem is key to exporting the funky-looking fruits worldwide, she added.

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2024-06-07 01:48:00Z
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'Small enhancement measure': Chinese officials respond after waterfall in Henan province found to use piped water - CNA

On Tuesday (Jun 4), Yuntai Mountain Park’s management posted a light-hearted statement on its official Weibo page, explaining that the natural water flow depended on the season. 

Most parts of China generally have four distinct seasons: Spring is from March to May, summer is from June to August, autumn is from September to November, and winter is from December to February.

Addressing netizens directly, the statement read: “Dear friends, hello! I didn’t expect to meet and talk to everyone under such circumstances. I’m Yuntai Falls, one of the many natural water landscapes in the Yuntai Mountain scenic area.” 

“Due to seasonal factors, I cannot ensure that I will be able to meet everyone in my most beautiful appearance when people visit.”

Standing at 314 metres tall, the waterfall - located in China’s Henan province - is the highest waterfall in Asia, news website Shanghai Daily reported. 

In order to ensure that visitors do not leave disappointed, the park management said that during dry seasons, a “small enhancement measure” was made. 

The statement also said that it would soon be the “abundant water period” this summer, and the waterfall will meet visitors in its “most perfect and natural form”. 

The statement, which garnered more than 7,300 likes on Weibo, saw many positive comments from Chinese internet users. 

“This is the level of public relations (that I’m expecting), (they) turned their response into advertising,” one comment with 846 likes read. 

Another commenter wrote: “Isn’t it great that you get to see the great waterfall even during the dry season.”, referring to the use of water pipes to supply water to the falls. 

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2024-06-06 09:46:30Z
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Hong Kong seeks to ban all e-cigarettes - CNA

Under existing laws, anyone in Hong Kong who imports e-cigarettes can be punished by up to seven years in jail and a fine of HK$2 million (US$256,000), while sellers and manufacturers can be jailed for up to six months.

"A blanket ban on alternative smoking products has become a consensus in society ... It is time to ban all forms of possession of alternative smoking products, including for personal use," said Deputy Secretary for Health Eddie Lee.

City officials also announced other smoking curbs on Thursday, including a ban on smoking while queueing in outdoor public areas and sharing cigarettes with minors.

The government also proposed banning flavoured tobacco, which officials said survey results showed particularly appealed to women and young people.

Lo said he hoped the e-cigarette ban and other proposals would be introduced to the legislature this year.

The World Health Organization reported last year that 34 countries have banned the sale of e-cigarettes, while 87 have full or partial regulation.

Hong Kong authorities hope to reduce the smoking prevalence rate to 7.8 per cent by next year, down from 9.1 per cent in 2023.

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2024-06-06 08:09:00Z
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What does Modi’s weakened mandate mean for India’s rivalry with China? - CNA

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2024-06-06 03:18:45Z
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