KUALA LUMPUR (Feb 6): The Federal Land Development Authority (Felda) is looking to develop more as a circular economy that has the potential to be the basis of a new approach to strengthening the agency.

The concept of a circular economy is the concept of use, return and recreate to maximise use and yield.

Chairman Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek said Felda will discuss further with Plantation and Commodities Minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani to implement the approach.

He said Felda had established cooperation regarding the black soldier fly (BSF), which contains high protein as an alternative to livestock feed, thereby reducing dependence on corn and soybean.

On Monday, Felda and Abeco Nature Science Sdn Bhd signed a research memorandum of understanding to increase the production of antimicrobial peptides and protein in BSF larvae, which have the potential to become a feed solution with antimicrobial characteristics and high nutritional levels to contribute to a sustainable livestock and aquaculture sector.

"If the BSF can be bred, it can be the basis of new bran for chicken feed and so on.

"In the past, palm waste was of very low or no value, and we had to hire people to dispose of it, but it can be used as food for the BSF, which can be an important basis in developing livestock feed," the Felda chairman said during a press conference at the Felda 2024 Symposium on Tuesday.

He said Malaysia needs at least 200,000 hectares for maize cultivation to meet the country's needs.

"That is bigger than the area of ​​the Muda Agricultural Development Authority (Mada) in Kedah and Perlis. There is no way we have such a large tract of land to produce corn for livestock feed.

"Therefore, through the cyclical economic system, we have new resources to produce fodder that we should be able to produce. This is one of the things we can present in the new system or a new approach to managing the economy," he explained.

He said Felda also sees the potential of developing the biomass field more intensely.

"Biomass can be converted into fertilisers and energy sources. This should be evaluated as well. These are new incomes that must be thought about together," he added.