Noisy swiftlet farms near homes can face action now

http://archives.thestar.com.my/search/default.asp?q=swiftlet

KUALA LUMPUR: The Veterinary Services Department and local councils will now be able to act on residents' complaints against noisy commercial swiftlet farms located close to their homes. The new regulations, outlined in a guidebook were introduced in January and enforced recently.

“Not all states have adopted the guidebook as some are still reviewing it,” said Dr Fadzilah A'ini Abdul Kadir, the senior head assistant for the exotic animal section in the department. The seven states that have adopted the guidelines are Johor, Perak, Pahang, Terengganu, Kelantan, Kedah and the Federal Territory of Labuan.

“Once given the authority, we will be able to act on complaints by issuing compounds to errant ranchers and ensure their premises meet the guidebook standards,” said Dr Fadzilah.

The guide recommends that housing for the birds must be located at least 50m from any urban settlement. However, states can choose to reduce the buffer zone to as narrow as 20m.

“These guides are based on existing laws but can also be adjusted to suit the states' needs. The objective is to regulate, not frustrate the industry,” said Dr Fadzilah. To further reduce noise, recorded bird calls used to attract swiftlets will only be allowed to be played from 7am to noon and from 5pm to 7.30pm.

To lodge a complaint, the public can visit http://www.dvs.gov.my or call the department's complaints division at 03-8870 2000. The guidebook is being sold by the Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Ministry's publications section at RM15.

Authority’s spot check on swiftlet farms gives out wrong signals

Posted on June 23, 2011, Thursday by The Borneo Post

A LUCRACTIVE MARKET: Malaysia is, at present, the second largest producer of bird’s nests in the world after Indonesia.

SIBU: The recent spot check on swiftlet farmhouses by enforcement officers from Sarawak Forestry Department is giving swiftlet farmers the jitters. Some are said to be worried sick, having no idea what would come next from the authority.

Secretary of Sarawak Bird’s Nest Suppliers Association, Colin Wong, when contacted, said the spot check was nothing more than a routine exercise to determine the actual number and the locations of the swiftlet farmhouses that had mushroomed of late.

“There is nothing to worry if the operators fulfill all the criteria; follow the proper guidelines and procedures in operating the farmhouses,” he said. Wong said he had talked to the enforcement officers and were told their operation was not to interfer. “They were only collecting data; logistics and information on the locations of the farmhouses that were under their jurisdiction,” he said.

Wong said the association was ready to discuss with the department over its operation if it were necessary.

Swiftlet farmhouses are mushrooming, mostly in Salim Road, Rantau Panjang, the West Bank, Lanang Road and even at some residential areas. There are least 10 new farmhouses along Salim Road, some still under construction.

Bird’s nest is said to be fetching good prices now with the unprocessed ones costing between RM4,500 and RM5,00 a kilogramme while the processed ones are sold between RM11,000 and RM19,000 a kilogramme.

In the central region alone, the number of farmhouses is estimated to be 1,500. Malaysia is currently said to be the second largest producer of bird’s nests in the world after Indonesia.

Indonesia produces 78 per cent of the world’s demand with Malaysia trailing behind at 10 per cent and Thailand the rest. Some 375 tonnes of unprocessed bird’s nests were produced last year. The nests, made from the saliva of the birds, are claimed to be excellent for the complexion and in promoting respiratory and gastric health.

The swiftlets use their spit to string together small gauze-like nests that are the main ingredient of bird’s nest soup, a Chinese delicacy.

Swiftlet farming worth getting into

by Mohamad Abdullah reporters@theborneopost.com. Posted on June 22, 2011, Wednesday

Jarani Abdullah

MIRI: Bumiputera entrepreneurs here are urged to start getting involved in the lucrative bird nest industry lest they be left far behind. Dewan Usahawan Bumiputera Sarawak (DUBS) Miri branch secretary, Jarani Abdullah, said that non-bumi businessmen were already far ahead in the industry raking so much revenue each year leaving their bumi counterparts far behind.

“The bird nest industry generates very big income for the operators as the demand (for bird nests) in the world market is so good,” Jarani said when met yesterday. According to Jarani, the Chinese entrepreneurs here were more aggressive in the industry based on the many bird houses they had put up everywhere including on buildings and on idle private land.

He said that courses could be arranged for those who wanted to get involved in the business while the necessary equipment and exposure could be arranged for them. It is said that unprocessed bird nests are worth between RM4,000 and RM5,000 per kg while processed ones fetch between RM9,000 and RM20,000 per kg.

This was revealed by an official from Niah Birdnest Trading which will conduct a one day seminar on swiftlet farming at the civic centre here on June 25. The company will share with the participants the relevant knowledge and the experience they have with rearing swiftlets. Members of the public interested to join the seminar are urged to get the entry forms from DUBS Miri office which can be contacted at 085-416945, Jarani at 019-8542548 or Ann at 016-8939409.

Among those expected to attend the seminar is an officer from the Forest Department who will talk on licensing, an officer from Agrobank who will talk on business financing, and an officer from the Veterinary Services Department on behalf of the Ministry of Agriculture.

ETP hits a milestone with RM170b in investments recorded since launch

Tuesday June 14, 2011

By FLORENCE A.SAMY
florenceasamy@thestar.com.my

KUALA LUMPUR: The Economic Transformation Programme (ETP) has reached a new milestone with a total of RM170.28bil in investment recorded since its launch last October.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak also announced nine new project initiatives yesterday, which will bring in investments worth RM2.77bil and create 36,595 jobs.

“Today we have reached a new milestone. With nine all-new and six recapped initiatives announced today, the ETP has seen 50% or 65 of its 131 Entry Point Projects taking off, represented by 87 initiatives,” he said when announcing the 15 initiatives during the sixth ETP progress update here yesterday.

The 15 initiatives, which are within seven National Key Economic Areas (NKEAs), are expected to bring in RM66.31bil in gross national income (GNI); RM63.38bil in investment and 63,531 new jobs.

“On a cumulative basis, the ETP has to date recorded RM170.28bil in investment; RM220.15bil in GNI and 362,396 new jobs. This is the largest ever in history in such a short period of time,” he said.

Najib also expressed confidence that the country would be able to achieve an annual 6% economic growth or more needed under the ETP to ensure the country achieved high-income status by 2020.

“Our economic transformation has begun to bear fruit in a relatively short time. If we look at the gross domestic product (GDP) for the first quarter of this year, it is clear that our economy is on the right and stable track.

“Although the GDP growth was at a moderate 4.6%, the consumption and investment growth which were at 6.6% and 6.5% respectively, reflects increasing confidence among consumers and investors,” he added.

The seven NKEAs are education; healthcare; agriculture; communications content and infrastructure; wholesale and retail; oil, gas and energy; and business services.

The nine new initiatives announced yesterday include plans to build a 160-acre UCSI Group integrated health education cluster in Bandar Springhill, Port Dickson, which will feature Malaysia's first private teaching hospital; two Sime Darby specialist hospitals in Ara Damansara and Desa ParkCity; and an early childhood care and education (ECCE) training hub by a consortium comprising SEGi Education group and eight other ECCE providers.

Other projects include developing Malaysia as a leading global shrimp producer; boosting swiftlet nests production; and enhancing video conference technology via TelePresence, which allows virtual meetings to take place.

New swiftlet farming scheme

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PENANGITES who are interested to invest in swiftlet farming schemes may be able to do so now as a company called Swiflet Eco Park Bhd has opened their first branch in Penang at Belissa Row along Burmah Road. Local investors may be familiar with the company’s current portfolio managing two registered farming investment schemes — Country Heights Growers Scheme and Golden Palm — which allow investors to reap returns by purchasing oil palm plantation plots.

The latest edition to join the two existing farming schemes is Malaysia’s first legalised swiftlet ranching share farming scheme which is initiated by Swiflet Eco Park Bhd. Swiftlet Eco is part of a holding company which is involved in the planning, development, construction and marketing of custom-made and licensed swiftlet farms.

Its group managing director Loke Yeu Loong said that not only is the scheme the first swiftlet ranching business licensed in Malaysia, but also in the world. With the purchase price of one interest unit at only RM10,000, this scheme is considered a low-risk investment with expected high returns.

“According to projections by our independent consultants, each investment unit of the scheme will be able to earn RM270,000 in the next 35 years, an average annual return of over 75%,” Loke explained. He added that potential investors should be confident, as it was not only approved by the Malaysian Government and Companies Commission but it had also appointed PB Trustee Services Berhad as a custodian.

Swiftlet Eco Park group executive deputy chairman Datuk Seri Dr Abdullah Fadzil Che Wan said that this scheme had potential to be successful. “Today, Malaysia is one of the major producers of edible bird’s nest.

“With swiftlet ranching flourishing as well as the price of edible bird’s nest rising, the export prospects for the industry are excellent,” he said.

Swiftlet Eco Park group chief executive officer Tan Chee Hong and its Penang branch’s investment manager Eddie Lim were also present at the official launch of its representative office last week. Those who are interested to learn more are welcome to visit the branch at 368- 2-12A, Belissa Row, Burmah Road or call 04-226 6802.