Synergy Farm Owner’s Passion for Bananas, Health

By Marina Emmanuel

THE northern region’s largest Cavendish banana producer – Synergy Farm (M) Sdn Bhd – is owned by cardiologist Datuk Dr Zainuddin Wazir.

Instead of turning his back on saving lives after 16 years in Government service, this business-savvy doctor has successfully merged his passion for saving lives by continuing to practice as a heart surgeon, while ensuring that people remain healthy by eating “Cavendish” bananas.

The Cavendish banana is a “dessert type” banana that is cultivated mostly by the large-scale banana companies for international trade.

Of the 400 varieties of bananas, the yellow Cavendish is reportedly the most favoured in America.

“I wanted to go into the food business which is related to health and figured why not tropical fruit,” Dr Zainuddin told the Business Times in Penang.

The Australian-trained doctor is also mindful of the shortage of bananas in the market – especially varieties which are recognised internationally for their high fibre content in preventing heart diseases – and acquired 109.6ha of land in Ara Kuda, Tasek Gelugor, Seberang Prai.

Besides cultivating and producing bananas on a large scale (the fruit is distributed mainly to hypermarkets in the Klang Valley along with canteens and restaurants in Penang), the company is also engaged in aquaculture, vermiculture and agro-tourism.

A further 40ha of land in the same area has been acquired, while a plan is on the drawing board to expand the banana plantation by an additional 200ha this year.

With research and development investments totalling RM10 million ploughed in so far into Synergy Farm, Dr Zainuddin has also established a company – Benih Tulin Sdn Bhd – to set up a RM5 million tissue culture centre for the mass production of tissue culture.

The laboratory is expected to be officially opened next month.

In giving banana growing a boost and assisting the Government in spawning more agro-entreprenuers, Dr Zainuddin is now setting his sights on a franchise farming scheme.

“Our intention is to encourage individuals and corporations to get involved in agro-business,” he said.

Apart from being the contract farmer for the first nucleus farm, Synergy Farm will also handle all activities from land suitability study and clearing, planting, growing, harvesting, processing and to buyback purchasing of the produce at an agreed cost of development and purchasing price.

A total of 11 fresh graduates have already signed up for the pilot programme to serve as nucleus farmers.

When he is not busy attending to his patients at Penang’s Island Hospital where he serves as a consultant cardiothoracic surgeon, Dr Zainuddin is also involved in medical tourism via Synergy Healthcare Sdn Bhd.

The company provides a full range of medical services to Medan via Island Hospital.

With his wife Datin Faridah Mohd Nazir, Dr Zainuddin also manages the Penang-based Allianze college of Medical Sciences which offers an integrated twinning programme for a degree in medicine with Indonesia’s Universitas Sumatera Utara and Universitas Andalas.

(c) 2006 New Straits Times. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.