SCORE can boost bird’s nest industry

by Raymond Tan. Posted on March 17, 2011, Thursday

TALK FOCUSES ON SCORE: Organsing chairman Tang Tung King (right) presents a gift to Wei during the SCORE forum. From left are Datuk Ismawi Ismuni, the director of the Planning Unit in the Chief Minister’s Department, and Pelawan assemblyman Vincent Goh.

SIBU: The government is encouraging the setting up of processing plants for edible bird’s nests in Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE) to protect the interests of local investors and consumers.

This can be considered good news to the ranchers as the industry has been booming in the Rajang River Basin in the last decade.

So far, the investors are very much on their own, and with the designation of an area in SCORE for them, their interests will be better looked into when these plants are set up. Presenting this talk in the SCORE forum hosted by Sibu Foochow Association in conjunction with their 110th anniversary, Joseph Wei of the Agriculture Department said local ranchers had been exporting raw bird’s nests.

He said after they were being processed overseas, the nests would be imported and sold to the local consumers. “We do not want the profit of this business to be flown out, and therefore, we want the processing plants to be set up in SCORE.” He said a 10-hectare plot had been drawn up in Tanjung Manis for bird’s nest investment, and they wanted investors to be involved in the two-tier commitment in both producing and processing.

Wei said about 70,000 sq km of land in Central Sarawak had been drawn out for SCORE, and of these, 40,000 sq km in Tanjung Manis would be allocated for farmers. He said the investment was expected to generate a market value of RM1 trillion in future. “The government will set up 10 zones for aquaculture, of which, six are within SCORE – three in Tanjung Manis and one each in Selalang, Murun and Bakun.

“With the help from the Federal Government, we shall start the ones in Selalang and Bakun first. The government will provide road, water and electricity.”

He said Selalang was an area designated for marine prawn production and Bakun and Murun for fresh water fish production.  “Bakun, covering 6,400 hectares, will start next year. It is projected to produce 17,000 tonnes of fresh water fish annually. “For Murun, we expect another production of 5,800 tonnes of fish annually while Selalang can produce up to 4,000-plus tonnes of prawns.” For investment in livestock, he said they would rear goats, sheep and cattle, and this investment would include the production of edible bird’s nests too.

For cattle rearing, he said it would be integrated in the palm oil plantations. “Last year, 400,000 hectares in the plantations were set up.”To help the investors, he said the government would ensure that the quality of food produced in SCORE met international health standards. “The Malaysia Industrial Development Authority (MIDA) will give out incentives and allowances to help the farmers.”