Empowering the Essence of Edible-birdnest

More than 20,000 bird's nest premises will be registered by 2020 in Malaysia said YB Dato' Sri Ahmad Shabery Cheek, Minister of Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry, Malaysia. Bird's nest will replace shark's Fin in the food for future with the motto ' Empowering the Essence of Edible-birdnest'

EDIBLE-NEST SWIFTLET (EBN) RANCHING AND ITS RELATED INDUSTRY: Malaysia expected to export 130 tonnes of edible bird’s nest

EDIBLE-NEST SWIFTLET (EBN) RANCHING AND ITS RELATED INDUSTRY: Malaysia expected to export 130 tonnes of edible bird’s nest

Malaysia expected to export 130 tonnes of edible bird’s nest

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia produces some 350 metric tonnes of edible bird’s nest annually and around 130 tonnes are expected to be exported by the end of this year, said Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) deputy director-general (Veterinary Health) Datuk Dr Quaza Nizamuddin Hassan Nizam.

“The edible bird’s nest industry is growing and last year itself, the country has exported 105 tonnes of edible bird’s nest to various countries.

“We’re exporting some 12 metric tonnes in the form of raw, clean to China. We have a programme in progress where we’re trying to export raw, unclean to China.

“Only about 25% of edible bird’s nest production is going for further process value adding whereas about 50% goes under raw, unclean and 25% raw, clean. We’re trying to increase the 25% to 50% to make it value adding for more income and to penetrate more markets,” he told a press conference after the Swiftlet Eco Park Group 12th anniversary dinner.

Dr Quaza added that the Middle East, US and Europe differed from the Chinese market so industry players have to look at different ways of selling their products rather than just looking at raw, clean and raw unclean edible bird’s nests. The value of edible bird’s nest now is around RM7,000 per kg.

Dr Quaza stressed that all swiftlet farming premises were registered in the DVS system and a full traceability system is in place to ensure the bird’s nests from Malaysia are of good quality and can be traced to the bird house it came from.

“For example, when we export the bird’s nest to other countries, it has a special sticker with a pin number and a code which can be scanned and traced to its source.

“We want to ensure the importance of food safety from the farm to the table,” Dr Quaza said. Deputy Agricultural and Agro-Based Industries Minister Anthony Nogeh Gumbek, who was also present, said the bird’s nest industry is recognised as one of the high value industries and the Government has placed it under one of the entry point projects of the Economic Transformation Programme.

“We want to produce bird’s nests which are acceptable by any standard in any country and we want to value add it.

“We don’t just sell raw clean or raw unclean bird nest, you process it to downstream products where you can get more return from it,” he said, adding that Government has spent almost RM8mil for research funding to assist the industry to expand the product range.

More agriculture products to enter china without barrriers

NANNING, China: More Malaysian agricultural products will enter China without barriers starting November with the signing of an agreement between the two countries, Second International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Ong Ka Chuan said.

He said in the next two months the Malaysian government and a Chinese Agriculture authority would sign the Protocol of Phytosanitary Requirements for the export of pineapple into China.

This marks an important milestone between the Malaysia-China Kuantan Industrial Park, as well as the China-Malaysia Qinzhou Industrial Park, he told reporters after the official opening of the Malaysian Pavilion at the 13th China-Asean Expo (Caexpo) here yesterday.

It was reported that the two industrial parks were a collaboration between Malaysia and China, as well as between the cities of Kuantan and Qinzhou under the Two Countries, Twin Parks Initiative.

The Pahang government has approved an  additional  1,000 acres of land to expand the industrial park in Kuantan to 2400 acres.

With the new ventures, the total investments attracted to stand at US$3.77 billion.

Ong said currently, Malaysia’s exports of fruits to China accounted for only six per cent of RM540 million.

“The export of fruits to China is still small, so there is definitely a lot of opportunities for Malaysian companies to tap into China which has a vast population of 1.3 billion.

“By signing this agreement, we want to make Qinzhou our trading hub,” he said, adding that currently, eight Malaysian fruits were already exported to China, including papaya, rambutan, mangosteen, young coconut and watermelon.

Malaysia, which is the world’s second largest producer of bird nests, will also be exporting raw, unclean bird nests to China besides processed bird nests.

The bird nest market in China stood at US$1.8 billion per year. — Bernama

Good ventilation system for swiftlet ranching

Here are some of the good design of swiftlet house, ventilation system and type of nesting plank commonly use. These are selected from the google picture.

Bird's Nest production affected by El Nino

KUCHING: While the Chinese community ponders over who to vote for in the last state elections, some are distracted by a “baffling exodus” taking place in Miri and Bintulu.

The producers of one of Sarawak’s most prized exports – bird’s nest – are blaming it on El Nino and the haze.

For the past few months, they said, the number of swift birds, whose saliva-spun nests are a great delicacy among the Chinese, have dropped noticeably in their usual nesting grounds.

“Many birds have flown away and not returned for a few months now. Maybe it is hard for them to find food. Production of bird’s nests has dropped by about 20% because of El Nino,” said Loh Siaw Kuei, president of the Sarawak Bird’s Nest Merchants Association.

Demand is back on the rise since 2014 after China lifted a 2011 ban due to nitrate levels in the delicacy.

The price for processed bird’s nest plunged from RM7,000 to RM3, 500 a kilogramme during the freeze, but has now exceeded RM8,000 and demand is growing, said Loh, also vice-president of the Federation of Malaysia Bird’s Nest Industry Merchants Associations Malaysia.

Loh said the strong recovery in prices and demand was a windfall for local industry players because they had difficulty in servicing bank loans during the ban. The loan they utilized to contruct bird house.

“Although the price is higher, the demand from China is still very good. Sarawak bird’s nests are bigger and considered to be of high quality and some had achieved HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point)-certified. That’s why the Chinese love bird’s nests from here,” he said.

Importers from China are also sourcing from Malaysia because of a drop in production in Indonesia, the world’s largest supplier, due to the haze.

According to Loh, Malaysia exported 11 tonnes to China last year.

There are 19 processing plants in the country approved to export cleaned bird’s nests to China with two in Kuching and one in Mukah, in the central region.

– BERNAMA

Sarawak bird nest output down on drought, fewer feeding grounds

Monday, 1 August 2016

Sarawak bird nest output down on drought, fewer feeding grounds

BY JACK WONG

 

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KUCHING: Bird nest production in Sarawak, one of the biggest producers in the country, had been affected by the drought earlier this year.

Breeders estimated production may have dropped between 10% and 20% in Sarikei and Sibu region. Sarawak produces about 8,000 kg of bird nests a month.

“The hot weather as well as fewer feeding grounds, especially in town areas, have adversely affected swiftlet’s nesting,” breeder Wong Hie Yong said.

He said the nesting periods for the birds were reduced to just twice a year, down from three times in a year previously in town area probably due to overcrowded and less insects.  Damaged natural habitats was also cited as a major factor, contributing to the decline in production.

Sarawak also produces high-quality bird nests from the many caves Baram, Miri, and Serian . It was estimated that there were 4,000 to 5,000 swiftlet houses in Sarawak.

Tasked by the state government to spearhead the orderly development of the swiftlet industry, the State Economic Development Corp (SEDC) has set up its first swiftlet eco park in Daro, Mukah Division.

The park has 10 units of double-storey buildings initially.