Swiftlet farming brings in RM2 bln a year: DG

By Anthony Joseph
Dept eyeing China market to increase export value
MIRI: Export value from swiftlet farming in the country has reached around RM2 billion a year, said director-general of Veterinary Services Department Datuk Dr Abdul Aziz Jamaluddin yesterday. This is because of the big demand for edible bird nest in the Asian market, especially in China, and the increasing swiftlet farming activities in the country. “We are trying to penetrate the China market. We can fetch a good value for it in China as the country imposed around 30 per cent tax for the product acquired from Hong Kong. As such, the government is trying to establish an understanding with China to enable those in the industry to export their product directly to the country,” Dr Abdul Aziz said after launching the state-level Veterinary Month here.

He said there have been tremendous yearly increases in number of swiftlet farmers or operators in the country since the past five years. “In Peninsular Malaysia, the number increased from 900 in 1998 to 50,000 last year. From an income of around RM18,000 in 1998 it ballooned to RM1 billion in 2008,” said Dr Abdul Aziz who was representing Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Datuk Rohani Abdul Karim.

The introduction or marketing of the product will be carried out in stages in the Asian market. It has the same potential with other products such as ‘tongkat ali’ and ‘kacip fatimah’ which are picking up among Asian consumers. “We are also trying to go into Japan, Korea, Taiwan and Europe. We can see there are big potentials in the industry in Sarawak,” he added. Meanwhile, the cabinet has approved the Veterinary Services Department as the agency to develop swiftlet farming in the country.

Also present were permanent secretary to the Ministry of Modernisation of Agriculture, Datu Jaul Samion and the director of Agriculture Department, Paul Vincent Ritom.