COMPANY NEWS Asia Pacific Plants Pte. Ltd. Poised to Become One of Region s Leading Plant Biotech Companies Singapore-based Asia-Pacific Plants Pte. Ltd. (formerly known as Wiltech Agro Pte. Ltd.) is gearing itself up to becoming one of the leading plant biotech companies in the region, with focus on tissue culture plant production. It has recently linked up with Australia's ForBio a world leader in the plant biotechnology industry and which holds a 40% equity stake in the company to set up a S$8 million (US$5 079 200) high-tech farm. The partnership will hinge on Asia-Pacific Plants' wide knowledge of the regional market as well as its expertise in plantation management, and ForBio's expertise in plant biotechnology and robotic tissue culture system, in order to tap the regional market. Asia-Pacific Plants is sited at the Sungei Tengah Agrotechnology Park, currently occupying an area of 72 000 square meters, with 1200 square meters devoted to research laboratory facilities. Research is crucial to produce genetically enhanced plants which are disease-resistant and of uniform and high quality. For its research efforts, the company has received generous support in terms of funding from the National Science and Technology Board, Singapore. In line with its goal of becoming a regional center for tissue culture plant production, the company has recently acquired a S$500 000 (US$317 450) robotic farming machine, Vitron 501, to be employed in mass tissue culture propagation of forestry, commercial food and plantation crops. The robot is imported from its shareholder, Brisbane-based ForBio Ltd. Use of the robotic propagation technology allows large-scale, efficient production as well as ensures high quality output through reduced contamination. Vitron 501 looks like a gigantic refrigerator with many transparent boxes of small plants. It operates in a cleanroom environment, and can produce up to three million plants a year. The robot determines the growth points of plants with a sensoring system, and knows the appropriate parts of the plants to cut, which it then transfers to a mixture of nutrients to propagate. The robot, operating in a cleanroom environment, with controlled atmosphere, enables uniform, high quality plants to be produced in a relatively short time. The company's expanded S$8 million (US$5 079 200) facility, when completed in early 1999, will house two more robots, to bring the total production to about 10 million plants a year. Asia Pacific Plants Pte Ltd Lor 34 Jalan Lekar Sungei Tengah Agrotechnology Park Singapore 690 000 Tel: 65 769 3941 or 65 766 3144 Fax 65 769 3761 email: singagri@applants.com.sg Taiho to Fund New Anti-Cancer Treatment Japan s Taiho Pharmaceutical will be funding the development of TER286, a new anti-cancer treatment for solid tumors. In return for the money it invests in research and development of the drug, the company will be granted commercialization rights in Japan, and possibly in other Asian countries. Terrapin Technologies is the company responsible for developing the drug. TER286 has so far been proven to be effective against breast, lung, ovarian and colon tumor cells. The compound activates only when in the presence of a sizable concentration of the enzyme glutathione S-transferase (GST-P1). This enzyme is found in such concentrations in many solid tumors, meaning that the treatment could be particularly effective in attacking tumors that had proven unresponsive to conventional radiotherapy. At present, Terrapin is preparing an IND (Investigational New Drug application) for US clinical trials. 249
COMPANY NEWS Good Future for Indian Tea 1997 is expected to be a prosperous year for the Indian tea market. Significant growth was recorded in 1996, where 280 million kg of tea was produced. This year tea production is expected to reach 800 million kg. Tea exports are also expected to increase from 153 million kg in 1996 to 190 million kg this year. The increased output has been attributed to reductions in production cost and better yields. The world s largest integrated tea company, Tata Tea, has recorded an 82% increase in exports of tea in 1996 97. It is said that Tata Tea plans to export more than 90% of its instant tea powder. The company has signed a three-year contract for global marketing of its instant tea powder with Tetley, Snapple, General Foods, and Robertet. Singapore Firm Takes Over Struggling Receptagen Scitech Genetics Ltd. (SGL), a Singapore-based company, has recently taken control of the US-based biotechnology company Receptagen Ltd. Receptagen acquired all issued and outstanding shares of the Singapore company in exchange for CAD$30 million (US$21.6 million) in stock, hence giving SGL majority control. The Singapore company will now be appointing four of its people to the sevenmember board of directors, as well as re-naming Receptagen to carry the SGL name. SGL, founded in 1988 by Saul A. Mashaal, focuses on the clinical development, production and marketing of biotechnology products for international markets, in particular the Asia-Pacific region. Key advisors to SGL include Mr. Paul Freiman, former chairman of Syntex Laboratories, and Mr. G Steven Burrill, president and CEO of Burrill & Company. This development will hopefully mark the end of a troubled period for Receptagen, which had been looking for a solution to its financial difficulties for some time. After a proposed CAD$27.3 million (US$19.7 million) equity injection from Pharmaceutical Consultants & Investments Ltd. fell through last year, shares in the company fell to as low as CAD$0.07 (US$0.05), having been at a high of CAD$3.45 (US$2.49) four years ago. In February this year, it was saved from debts of CAD$8.5 million (US$6.13 million) by publicly traded InterUnion, and before the conclusion of the deal with SGL, there had been talk of a merger with Generex Pharmaceuticals Inc. of Toronto. This development will hopefully mark the end of a troubled period for Receptagen, which had been looking for a solution to its financial difficulties for some time. 250
Chinese Import and Export Enterprises Cereals, Oils & Foodstuffs District Company Scope of Chief Business Person to Tel. No. Co. Address Name contact Beijing Chinese National Import and export trade, processing with supplied Zhou 65271818 7-13/F, Tower A, Municip- Cereals, Oils & materials or samples, assembling with supplied Mingchen Beijing COFCO ality Foodstuffs Imp. parts and components from abroad, counter trade, Plaza, No. 8, & Exp. Corp. barter trade, transfer trade, domestic trade, compensation Jian Guo Men trade, entrepot-trade, consultation, advertising, exhibition, Nei Ave., technology exchange, acting as an agent in the import and Beijing. export business. Tianjin Tianjin Golden Mainly dealing in 1000 varieties of import and Zhang 3302918 20 Da Tong Municip- Star Imp. & Exp. export commodities falling under more than ten categories Yunnian Road, Tianjin ality Group Co., Ltd. such as fruits and vegetables and their products, aquatic products, light industrial products, garments, arts & crafts, Hebei Hebei Foddstuffs Managing import & export of foodstuffs, ; Ye Sihe 7043933 No. 288 Heping Province Imp. & Exp. import business of certain sugar approved by economic W. Rd., Shijia (Group) Corp. and trade department; undertaking joint ventures, Zhuang, Hebei cooperation producing business, Inner Inner Mongolia Mainly dealing in import and export of cereals, oils and Li 6961320 No. 126 Zhong Mongolia Autonomous foodstuffs; (Approved by the Ministry of Foreign Trade Guoqing Shan Road Autono- Region Cereals, and Economic cooperation) also dealing in the business of West, Huhhot, mous Oils & Foodstuffs import and export of sugar, which can only be consumed China Region Import & Export by the region itself. Consignment and agency of the Cooperation above-mentioned business, Heilong- Heilongjiang Cereals, Mainly dealing with grain & oil foods, breeding processing, Zhao Fujia 2643688 Foreign Trade jiang Oils & Foodstuffs Restaurant services and real estate developing. The major COF Building Province Import And Export exporting commodities are soybean, corn, raw rice, 122, Road, ZhongShan (Group) Corporation no-staple grains and beans, feed, industrial foods, fresh HarBin foods, light and textile products with more than 200 kinds. Jilin Ceroilfood Jilin Import and export of cereals, oils and foodstuffs, barter Liu 8527474 No. 55, Province Cereals, Oils Food- trade, native products and animal by-products, textiles, Xiuchen Jianshe Str. stuffs Imp. & Exp. Co. metals, chemical products, automobile parts, building Changchun. materials, machinery and equipment, nonmetal mineral products, Liaoning Ceroilfood Mainly deals in I/E business of cereals & oils as well as Zhang 2814998 No. 33 Ren Province Liaoning Cereals foodstuffs, native produce and by-animal products, Hanzhong Min Road & Oils Imp. And chemicals, light-industrial products, textiles, garments, Dalian Exp. Co. metals, minerals, electronics, ; also takes on projects of sino-foreign joint venture processing with supplies or imported materials, Liaoning Laioning Foodstuffs Import and export business of agricultural by-products, Zhu 2716132 729 Luxun Province I/E Corp. aquatics, and commodities such as garments, textiles, Chaodai Road, silk, light industry products, crafts, minerals, chemicals, Zhongshan machanicals and electrical products approved by the District, Dalian government. 251
COMPANY NEWS District Company Scope of Chief Business Person to Tel. No. Co. Address Name contact Shandong Shandong Meat & Handles the import and export of various kinds of meat Jiang 5879679 No. 1 Hualian Province Eggs Import & Export and eggs; acts as agency for the import and export of the Chongyong Road, Corporation aforesaid commodities at the authorization of customers; QingDao undertakes sino-foreign joint ventures; cooperative production, Shandong Shandong Foodstuffs Fish, clams, frozen prawns, seaweed, fish and cattle, frozen Zhang 2865431 70, Zhongshan Province I. & E. Corp. beef and pork, frozen broiler, duck, eggs and egg products, Ming Road, Qingdao Shandong Yantai Foodstuffs Imp. Exportation of aquatic and sea products, meat and poultry Wang 6215217 11, Taiping Province & Exp. Corp. products, dried and fresh fruit, vegetables, canned goods, Xikai Street, Yantai wines, Importation of various raw and auriliang materials, packing materials, materials used in supporting production as well as processing equipment all needed for expansion of production and for processing export-oriented foodstuffs. Shanghai Shanghai Foodstuffs Main Activities: Importation and exportation; acting as Tang 6321623 521 Si Chuan Municip- Imp.. & Exp. Corp. agent for importation and exportation; transit trade; Minhui Bei Lu, ality counter trade; developing sino-foreign joint ventures or Shanghai co-operation; processing with customers materials, importation and exportation of technology, and exportation of handcrafts made of pearl. Shanghai Ceroilfood Shanghai Deals in the import/export on its own or on agency basis Jin Jiakai 6321976 11 Hankou Municip- Cereals & Oils Import for cereals, oils, foodstuffs, native produce, chemicals, Road, ality And Export Company electronic, machinery, educational and sporting equipment, Shanghai ; undertakes joint ventures and co-production with foreign partners, processing and assembling service with materials and samples provided, Jiangsu Jiangsu Cereals, Oils & Handles the business of import and export of cereals, oils Yu 2202117 528, Province Foodstuffs Import And and foodstuffs. Guozhong Taiping Road Export Group Corp. South, Nanjing Anhui Anhui Cereals, Oils & The main goods handled are of about 200 kinds, including Zhang 2653731 10-12Fl. Province Foodstuffs Imp. And rice, rapeseed, peanuts (kernels) and other kinds of Weigen Finace Exp. (Group) Corp. cereals and beans, canned products, cake feed, frozen meat, Bldg, 256 wines, drinks, Jinzhai Road, Hefei Zhejiang Zhejiang Cereals, Oils Mainly handles the export of categories with more than Zhou 5176909 102 Fengqi Province & Foodstuffs Import & 400 items, covering livestock and poultry, cereals and oils, Jiahong Road, Export Co., Ltd. canned goods, meat and poultry, vegetables and fruit, Hangzhou, aquatic products, wines and drinks, processed food, Zhejiang Jiangxi Jiangxi Cereals, Oils & Mainly deals in import and export of cereals, oils and Wang 6223237 5th Floor Province Foodstuffs Import And foodstuffs and also engages in processing with provided or Zhongyang Foreign Trade Export Corporation imported materials, compensation trade, transit trade, barter Building trade, consignment business and agency. The business No. 60 Zhan scope consists of rice, coarse cereals, feed, beans and peas, Qian Road, oils and grease, oil seeds, livestock, game, meat products, Nanchang City, dried and fresh fruits, vegetables, beverages, Jiangxi 252
District Company Scope of Chief Business Person to Tel. No. Co. Name contact Address Fujian Fujian Cereals, Oils & Mainly handles the import and export of agricultural Niu 7506688- World Trade Province Foodstuffs Imp. And Exp. products and foodstuffs, as well as industrial food; import Xiaolong 168 Plaza 18-21F Group Corp. and export of production knitware, general electronic Wu Si Road, merchandise, metals and hardware, furniture, Fuzhou Henan Henan Cereals, Oils & Main business covers the following categories: livestock, Zheng 3942840 23 Jingqi Province Foodstuffs Imp. And Exp. animal by-products, cereals, oils and foodstuffs, nonstaple Shengting Road, Corp. food, aquatic products, fruit and vegetables, processed Zhengzhou textiles, garments, embroideries, metals and minerals, food, machinery equipment, instruments, electronics, with a range of over 1000 kinds of products. Hubei Hubei Provincial Cereals, Its import and export business scope includes: cereals, Wang 2872390 319, Zhao Province Oils & Foodstuffs I/E oils and oils seeds, feed and beans and peas, livestock Yan Lin Jia Tiao, (Group) Corporatio and poultry, meat and egg products, fruit and vegetables, Wuhan Hunan Hunan Cereals, Oils & Cereals, beans, edible vegetable oils, edible oil seeds, oils Zhang Yu 4439698 2, Wuyi Province Foodstuffs Import & for industrial use, oil seeds for industrial use, soybean, West Road, Export Corporation cakes and expellers, livestock, live poultry and other live Changsha animals, wines and spirits, confectionary and biscuits, sugar products, drinks, fragrant oil, and other foodstuffs. Guangd- Guangzhou Cereals, Oils & Business scope mainly includes: the internal and external Ye Qing 81901086 408 ong Foodstuffs Import & trade of cereals, oils, foodstuffs, beans, aquatic products Renmin Province Export Corporation and seafood, fresh frozen fruit and vegetables, live frozen Road poultry and livestock, textiles, machineries and electric (Centrals), products and native produce and animal by-products, Guangzhou Guangxi Guangxi Cereals, Oils & Main business scope includes the import and export of Wu 5865569 137 Qixing Zhuang Foodstuffs Import And various cereals, fat and oil, canned goods, white refined Hanxin Road, Autono- Export Corporation sugar, fresh and dried fruit and vegetables, frozen fruit Nanning, mous and vegetables, livestock and poultry, frozen and preserved Guangxi Region meat products, aquatic and marine products, rice and soyabean products, wine and liquors, Xinjiang Xinjiang Cereals, Oils, Import and export cereals, edible oils, foodstuffs, native Hou 2860045 9 Tuanjie Vyghur Foodstuffs & Native products, machinery and electronical equipment, chemicals, Kangle Road, Autono- Produce I/E Corp. textiles, medicine and health products, Urumqi, mous Xinjiang Region Sichuan Sichuan Cereals, Oils & Main commodities handled are: Frozen pork meat, beef, Huang 6746442 2 Jin Ma Province Foodstuffs Import And rabbit meat, Maling brand canned foods, cereals, oils, Jiating Street Export Corp. beans, famous liquors, fruit, quick-frozen and fresh Chengdu vegetables, tea, light industrial and textile products, industrial products, mechanical and electrical products. Guizhou Gui Zhou Prov Cereals, Cereals, oils, foodstuffs, meat, egg products, fruit, Qi Xin 6829257 64 Beijing Province Oils & Foodstuffs Imp. vegetables, wines, beverages, native products, metals and Road, And Exp. Corporation minerals, chemicals, medicines and health protection Guiyang produces, textile, garments, and other products in light City, industry. Guizhou 253