Coastal villagers encouraged to take up bird’s nest farming

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MUKAH: Those living in the coastal areas are urged to take up bird’s nest farming as it is able to generate at least RM100,000 from a 20kg harvest.

Jemoreng assemblyman Datuk Dr Juanda Jaya said they have the advantage over others in other areas due to their suitable locality.

“The industry even though it involves a bit of financial start-up will have a high return of investment (ROI) which can improve the socio economy of the farmers,” Juanda told Utusan Borneo yesterday.

He mentioned that during the recent visit of Minister of Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Datuk Seri Ahmad Shaberi to Mukah to see the bird’s nest industry there, the latter had informed that the federal government was in the final phase of talks with China to make the country as the main importer of bird’s nests from Malaysia.

He said Malaysia had been the main exporter of bird’s nests to China but there had been a standstill due to the unfavourable quality of bird’s nests from certain local exporters.

Statistics have also shown that Malaysia is able to export almost 400 metric tonnes of bird’s nests a year but only 60 metric tonnes have been exported.