It is my great pleasure to welcome participants to the 2nd International Plantation Industry Conference and Exhibition (IPiCEX 2008). It is indeed a great place here in Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), the premier university that offers plantation management programs in Malaysia. We are pleased to hold this conference and exhibition with the theme “Reinventing the Plantation Sector: Globalisation, Diversification & Environmental Issues”, in accordance to the importance of the plantation industry as the major economic contributor in our country.

IPiCEX 2008 is committed in pursuing the best plantation practices as well as to act as a general platform to discuss issues and challenges faced by the plantation industry. To ensure the competitiveness of crop production, all parties should strive for optimum yield and quality and post-harvest handling. This conference and exhibition would also serve as a platform for discussion and further collaboration in the industry. It is also a good opportunity for exploring new research and business areas of the plantation industry for the betterment of mankind. Besides the technical deliberations, a post conference tour will be planned to provide first hand information on planting, production and processing of plantation products. Lastly, I would also like to take this opportunity to wish all of you a productive conference and exhibition and a pleasant stay in Malaysia.

SELAMAT DATANG.