MAW TIN (Myanmar): A green, leafy shrub has taken root in Myanmar, proving to be a keen rival to the country's padi fields.

With a greyish-brown bark, large hairy leaves and poisonous fruit, the plant is far from a food crop yet it is cultivated throughout Myanmar, sometimes even in window boxes in flats.

Jatropha curcas, to give it its official name, has emerged as a wonder plant of sorts and tipped to be a key feedstock in the global biofuels industry. Myanmar - with the help of some Singapore firms - is betting big on it.

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