Uggah (centre) and Tho hold a box of banaBee banana chips meant for export. Also seen from left are Dr Ismail, Sagah and Awang Bemee.
KUCHING: Sarawak will continue to strengthen its bio-security to ensure that the foot and mouth disease (FMD) does not spread here, says Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah.
He said Sarawak is among two regions able to export live pigs to Singapore, and to maintain it, the state is putting very strict measures at all entry points, and banning all pork products from being brought into the state, in whatever form.
“As far as livestock is concerned, Sarawak is free from the Foot and Mouth Disease. The world is faced with the African Swine Fever which has now spread to the Philippines. We appeal to everyone to co-operate and make sure Sarawak is free from Foot and Mouth Disease. Pork products found brought into the state through airports will be confiscated.”
He said the disease is spread from the meat of infected pigs, and if given as feed to animals, the animals will get the disease.
“We have done very well in the pig industry. We are exporting 1,200 head per week and last year we exported RM50 million worth of pork and pork products,” he said when met at Senari Port yesterday to witness the sending off of a container of banana chips (BanaBee) to Guangzhou, China.
Uggah also suggested that dried pork be produced in Kuching instead of bringing them here from Kuala Lumpur ‘because it is not difficult to make’.
Meanwhile, Banana Tree Sdn Bhd has been exporting banana chips to China since last year. It has since increased production and is exporting the product to Peninsular Malaysia, and soon to Singapore.
“This is a milestone of sorts for Sarawak. It augurs well for Sarawak’s target of becoming a net exporter of food by 2030,” said Uggah who is also Minister of Agriculture, Native Land and Regional Development.
He said BanaBee shows that Sarawak can compete at the international stage and able to penetrate the China market by meeting its strict food standard.
With the opening of Sarawak Trade and Tourism Office in Singapore, BanaBee would be able to promote the product and export it to Singapore soon, he added.
Uggah also said Sarawak has a good foundation to achieve the net food exporter target as it had successfully shipped Tilapia fish to Singapore through the same company.
For the record, Sarawak exported 100 tonnes of durian paste to China last year.
The target for this year is 200 tonnes. Overall, Sarawak exported RM3.8 billion worth of food products last year, with corn the biggest contributor.
Assistant ministers of Agriculture, Native Land and Regional Development Datuk Roland Sagah and Datuk Dr Abdul Rahman Ismail, Kuching Port Authority chairman Datuk Awang Bemee Pengiran Ali Basah, and Banana Tree Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Tho Tze Bing were among those present at the function.