Uggah (second left) shares a joke with Zhang (second right) after receiving a box of tea from him. At right is Datuk Sebastian Ting a legal advisor of the group.
KUCHING: A Malaysia/China joint venture business group, MatQtra International, has proposed to invest in Batang Ai tilapia commercial production in collaboration with Sarawak Land Consolidation and Rehabilitation Authority (Salcra).
The group’s executive chairman Tengku Ibrahim Petra and his deputy Zhang Rong Yang said this when they paid a courtesy call on Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah at his office here yesterday.
Tengku Ibrahim said the group, based in Dalian, China, is keen to venture into fish fillet processing and marketing.
He said they had conducted a study at the Batang Ai hydro dam lake, and were very impressed with the quality of the tilapia there.
“Tilapia from other parts of the world cannot match its delicious taste. We brought along our technicians who testified that the breeding condition in the lake is very ideal,” he said, adding MaQtra would bring its business partner Dalian Huaqi to provide the technology.
Dalian Huaqi processing plant is located at Zhuanghe Harbor Industrial Park in Liaoning Province and its main products are frozen fish fillets, portions and blocks from Alaska Pollock, Pacific Hake, Redfish, Cod, Chum and Pink Salmon.
“These are sold to South and North America, Europe and some Asian countries. Its daily processing capability is 12,000 tonnes while its refrigerating capacity is 10,000 tonnes,” he added.
Meanwhile, Uggah who is also Minister of Modernisation of Agriculture, Native Land and Regional Development, said Sarawak had a lot of potential in aquaculture.
“Besides Batang Ai, we have Bakun, Murum and soon the Balleh hydro dam lakes. We have many rivers as well,” he said.
He added that like in the fruit sector, the government would like to have the anchor company concept in developing its aquaculture sector.
“With the concept, the anchor company will develop the supply chain, set up collecting centres, process the fish before exporting the finished products to its already established markets,” he said.
He hoped to meet the MetQtra group after the Hari Raya celebration with its plan on the proposal.
Meanwhile, Zhang later passed an invitation letter to Uggah to visit the Dalian Huaqi plant in China.
Salcra general manager Datuk Vasco Sabat and his deputy Joseph Blandoi and others from Daluan Huaqi were also present during the visit.