Posted on May 24, 2012, Thursday
MEASURES
have been taken to ensure that all exports of bird’s nests are in
compliance with requirements stipulated by importers in China.“Malaysia
must go through licensed exporters who are in compliance with the
quality and safety standard requirements and whose processing plants
have been accredited with Veterinary Health Mark (VHM),” said Deputy
Chief Minister and Minister of Modernisation of Agriculture Datuk
Patinggi Tan Sri Alfred Jabu Numpang.
In his winding-up speech
at the State Legislative Assembly here yesterday, Jabu said edible bird
nest (EBN) was a very high value export item for the state and the
country, with export value of EBN at about RM100 million per annum. “The constraint for not being able to export to China is due to the detection of high nitrate content in our EBN,” he reported.
According
to him, the government is now encouraging bird nest farmers to adopt
Good Animal Husbandry Practice (GAHP) in their production system to
ensure that the EBN are safe for human consumption and to win back the
confidence of consumers.
He added that two companies in Sarawak have
met VHM requirements and pending approval from the Department of
Veterinary Service Putrajaya, they will also be able to export EBN.
Presently,
there are only eight companies in Malaysia with processing plants that
are accredited with VHM and are eligible to export to China.
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