was established In 1969 as a statutory body under the Ministry of Agriculture to conduct research Into agricultural crops except rubber. Due to efforts undertaken by the Ministry of Agriculture and research activities conducted In MARDI, the large scale development of oil pal~ began In the 19701s as an Important alternative crop to rubber. Subsequently due to the successful Introduction of oil palm as a second crop In the country, the Palm 011 Research Institute Malaysia (PORIM> was establlshed In 1979. Research undertaken by PORIM Is financed by a cess fund. whereby palm oil producers are required by law to contribute a certain percentage of their Income to the fund, as In the case of the Rubber Research Institute where cess Is collected to finance research on the-production of rubber. Research activities at 1~ PORIM are based on the search for ne~ Methods to Increase produc­ tion of palm ott, to popularlse the use of palm oil as an alter­ native to other oils and the search for new uses of palm oil and Its by-products. · The 1970's saw the Implementation of the New Economic Polley (NEP> and the launching of the national Industrial lsatlon programme and this naturally led to greater and more effective diversification of scientific and technological actlvltes. Scie­ ntific and technological research In agriculture was geared to­ wards the search for new clones. high yielding and fast maturing seeds for boosting the yield of various agricultural products especially palm oft and' rubber. Research Institutions like MAROI,and PORIM reacted Instantly to the twin objectives of the New Economic Pol Icy of eradicating poverty and accelerating the restructuring of society by concentrating on programmes to up­ grade the lncom~ of the rural populatln who are baslcal ly Involv­ ed In agricultural actlvltes. These research Institutions also 
**Analysis**
The text appears to be about the establishment and research activities of the Palm Oil Research Institute of Malaysia (PORIM), which is closely related to the agricultural sector. The text highlights the institute's objectives, research areas, and the impact of the New Economic Policy (NEP) on the agricultural sector. The text does not mention economic development as a standalone concept, but rather as a byproduct of the research activities.

**Category**
Agriculture, forestry and fishing