Swiftlet industry players in Sarawak want their own set of rules

By PHILIP HII
philiphii@thestar.com.my

SWIFTLET industry players in Sarawak are planing to formulate a separate set of guidelines for the state instead of following the national guidelines.

Sarawak Bird Nest Suppliers Association deputy president Jesse Tang said yesterday the decision to have a separate set of guidelines was reached after a two-day emergency meeting attended by representatives from seven bird’s nests merchants and bird’s nests suppliers associations in Sarawak.

Tang said his association would prepare the new guidelines which would be more suitable for the development of the swiftlet industry in Sarawak and present them to the Chief Minister’s Department and Sarawak Forestry Department soon.

The meeting also resolved to urge the authorities to allow swiftlet farmers to maintain the existing bird houses which were built in urban centres.

Tang, however, advised the farmers to maintain the original outlook of the buildings (normally shophouses) which they had converted into bird houses and also to ensure the noise level of the bird calls was within the government approved level at 40 decibel (dB).

He advised swiftlet farmers not to build water ponds inside the bird houses which could be breeding grounds for mosquitoe

Tang said his association was willing to assist anyone interested in swiftlet farming.

“We would like to share and impart the knowledge, wealth and benefits derived from swiftlet farming to anyone interested, regardless of race,” he said.

He estimated that there were now 5,000 bird houses in the state and they produced at least 2,500kg of raw bird’s nests valued at about RM8.8mil a month.

‘Give us alternative site’

From http://thestar.com.my

OPERATORS of swiflet farms in the heritage enclave in George Town are willing to relocate if the authorities identify a new location for them. Association for Swiftlet Nest Industries (ASNI) president Carole Loh said there should be proper planning just like the relocation of hawkers and squatters. “We are only requesting that we’re treated fairly in the relocation process,” she said when contacted yesterday.

She was commenting on the statement by state executive councillor Chow Kon Yeow that the state government would hold a meeting next week to work out a mechanism to implement the three-year grace period for swiftlet farms to move out of the George Town heritage enclave. Chow said the meeting would involve ASNI, Penang Heritage Trust and other related organisations.

He was quoted as saying it was up to the state government to decide when the grace period would begin.The issue of relocation arose after the National Council for Local Government had agreed on Sept 3 for swiftlet farms to move out of the Penang and Malacca heritage enclaves. Loh said the operators were awaiting details on the relocation plan. “It is almost impossible to move out without affecting the swiftlets as putting the birds in cages and moving them out is not the right way. “Swiftlets will return to their nests as soon as they are released from the cage,” she said.

Firm devises swift way to nest egg

from www.thestar.com.my By MANJIT KAUR
manjit@thestar.com.my

BUKIT MERTAJAM: A Kulim-based company has come up with a new method of breeding swiftlets in an artificial environment.Aeroswift Group of Companies group chief executive officer Khairil Sani Wong Abdullah said they are the first private company collaborating with the Veterinary Services Department and several local universities to perfect the technique. He claimed that his research-based company was the first in the world to have created an aviary in Kulim using the know-how.

Tender care: Baby swiftlets in plastic nests being fed at the Aeroswift Group of Companies. “We also have a section to breed a type of fruit fly which is used to feed the swiftlet chicks. The chicks are raised in plastic nests before they are transferred to huge cages.“The method has proven to be successful and this will stabilise the multi-billion ringgit industry for the future,” he said at an Awareness of Swiftlet Rearing Industry talk at a hotel here.

 

Khairil said a bigger research centre was being built in Selangor and it will have 12 research officers and veterinarians based there when completed by the end of next month. He added that Malaysia is the only country which legally exported bird nest to China, and there was huge market in the Middle-East and Europe as well.

2010 Budget Invigorating Agriculture Sector

The Government allocates RM3.8 billion in 2011 to increase productivity and generate higher returns in the agriculture sector. For this, the following measures will be taken:
Third: Encourage farmers participation in high value agriculture activities, including swiftlet nests, aquaculture, seaweeds, ornamental fish as well as herbs and spices with an allocation of RM135 million for basic infrastructure;

Swiftlet farming for bird nests a viable investment through ISUs

The Borneo Post

by Ronnie Teo
September 15, 2010, Wednesday

KUCHING: Swiftlet farming for bird nests will become a viable investment in Sarawak and Sabah through interest scheme units (ISUs).

Wong Teck Heng

“Given the opportunity by the state government, I believe that this investment scheme will be extremely feasible as Sarawak is blessed with the potential to support this business,” highlighted Wong Teck Heng, managing director of SSEP Resources Sdn Bhd (SSEP Resources) in a press conference yesterday. “Through this venture, we aim to give the opportunity to the general public, who do not have the time or financial capability to individually manage their swiftlet farms, to be able to profit from this growing investment method.”

The projected figures, compiled by an independent consultant experienced in the industry, affirmed the viability of this investment scheme which promises a return of more than RM270,000 over 35 years based on the purchase of one ISU. “Each unit is priced at RM10,000 for the moment, yielding approximately 75 per cent per year in returns on the original investment,” Wong said.

“However, investors would not see any return on investments for the first two years as it would take some time for swiftlets to settle and build its nests. We will only be able to harvest these nests after the third year.”

These ISUs are flexible as they come with guaranteed buy back, transferable or tradable features – a first of its kind in this industry.

Wong, who is also the secretary to the Swiftlet Farming Association, added that there were 14 swiftlet eco-parks throughout the peninsula. The group aimed to build eight more parks in Sarawak pending approval from the local government.

These are managed by a group of directors with the current chairman being Tengku Besar Terengganu Datuk Seri Sharifah Nong Alsagoff Abdillah, mother to the current Agong. This is a fully licensed business and investment tool approved by the Companies Commission of Malaysia. In addition, the trustees for these ISUs are PB Trustee Services Bhd.

On a parting note, Wong hoped that the state government will be able to work with SSEP Resources to obtain approval with this project apart from assisting in the search for suitable lands to establish these swiftlet eco-parks. “Swiftlet ranching has positive spillover effects on other industries as well. The most notable is the property sector whereby land values surrounding the eco-parks spiked, apart from the construction sector and manufacturing industries.  “We hope that the society will share this sentiment as well to help our progress in East Malaysia,” he concluded.

Swiftlet Ranching in Penang (2009)

Swiftlet farming can be profitable

Borneo Post

by Yunus Yussop
September 4, 2010, Saturday

BINTULU: Swiftlet industry can be a lucrative venture to the operators as the commodity can fetch  RM6,000 to RM7,000 per kilogramme in the current market.In the world market the highest price offered was around RM12,000 to RM24,000 per kg. Assistant Minister of Tourism Datuk Talib Zulpilip said the government is very supportive to expand the industry and hopefully those in the rural areas could also grab the opportunity.

He said the operations are more suitable to be carried out in the rural areas compared to the urban as a far as hygiene is concerned. Managing swiftlet  farming is also easy and there is no need for many workers but the only thing that the operators must do is to provide the place for the bird to lay and incubate its eggs and also to raise its young ones, said Talib. He said this when officiating at the closing of Swiftlets design and equipment technology workshop organised by Sarawak Economic Development Corporation (SEDC) at Medan Niaga, Jepak yesterday. “Unlike before, where the birds were nesting inside the caves,  now we can build a special house for them. It is more practical in the rural areas because besides preserving the environment it also can avoid other complications,” he added.

He said the big markets for the swiftlet product were   China, Korea, Taiwan and Singapore and this was due to their belief the product was rich with nutrition. Talib who is also SEDC chairman assured that more workshops on  swiftlet farming would be held in future to encourage more participation from the people and at the same time to boost the country’s economy. “Under the Tenth Malaysia Plan, the federal government wants to diversify the income of the people and the state government on the other hand will give its support by issuing more permits for swiftlets farming,” he said. 

Earlier, 61 participants took part in the workshop, which was conducted by Wong Jor Jie Abdullah from National Resource and Environment Board (NREB) Deputy Resident (Development) Sirai Daha and Sarawak Bumiputera Chamber of Commerce Bintulu branch chairman Kadir Sahib were among those present.

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