IPOH: The newly-formed Malaysia Birds Nest Alliance wants the Government to allow industry players to export raw and unprocessed birds' nests (RUBN) to more countries.
Its president Lim Lai Soon said the alliance would submit a memorandum to the Prime Minister at Parliament on Tuesday.
He said nearly all of the country's RUBN producers and farmers were currently in a limbo as the export ban from China on birds nest imports had yet to be lifted.
“We want the Prime Minister to help by allowing us to export RUBN to Korea, Taiwan and other countries.
“There is also a great demand from factories and producers for RUBN in China,” he said here yesterday.
Lim also said the alliance was made aware that the protocol signing between Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Minister Datuk Seri Noh Omar and the Chinese last month was only for the re-entry of edible bird nests (EBN) into China.
”The protocol will see China accepting only the EBN while the RUBN will still be kept in storage here.
“A lot of industry players, especially swiftlet farmers are affected by this new protocol, causing millions in losses every month,” he said.
Last month, Noh Omar signed the protocol in Nanning with China's General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine Minister Zhi Shuping to allow the export of birds nest products into China.
Last week, Deputy Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Minister Datuk Chua Tee Yong said Malaysia hoped to resume export of raw cleaned birds nest in December.
Lim said about 50 tonnes of RUBN were harvested and produced every month by some 60,000 swiflet farms.
“RUBN is worth between RM4,000 and RM5,000 per kg,” he said.
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