PUTRAJAYA, 11 Okt -- Menteri Pertanian dan Industri Asas Tani Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek (tengah) menikmati keenakan sarang burung walet semasa mempromosikan makanan itu sebagai alternatif sirip ikan Yu pada majlis perasmian 'Edible-Birdnest Industry Conference 2016' malam ini. Turut hadir Ketua Setiausaha Kementerian Pertanian dan Industri Asas Tani, Datuk Seri Dr Ismail Bakar (dua, kanan) dan Ketua Pengarah Jabatan Perkhidmatan Veterinar, Datuk Dr Kamarudin Md Isa (dua kiri). -- fotoBERNAMA (2016) HAK CIPTA TERPELIHARA
PUTRAJAYA: Export of edible bird’s nest increased by 80% from 145.1 tonnes in 2014 to 262.8 tonnes in 2015, said Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek.
He said Malaysia hoped the number would continue to increase yearly, along the growth of local processing plants to producing export-quality edible bird’s nest.
“Edible bird’s nest is the most higly priced agricultural product in South-East Asia. It is estimated that there are more than 20,000 swiftlet ranching premises in operations throughout the country.
“The Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) has registered more than 10,000 swiftlet premises, and it expects to be able to register at least 90 per cent of the swiftlet premises by 2020,” Ahmad Shabery said in his opening speech at the 3rd Edible Bird’s Nest Industry Conference 2016 in Putrajaya on Tuesday.
He also also announced that DVS is introducing a programme, Edible Bird’s Nest as an Alternative to Shark’s Fin.
The programme had received good response from a number of four- and five-star hotels which are willing to work together with the ministry to raise the awareness, he said.
The two-day conference beginning Tuesday was attended by 120 industry players mostly from Malaysia and China.
Themed “Empowering the Essence of Edible Bird’s Nest”, the conference serves as a platform to discuss the current developments of Malaysia’s bird’s nest industry; global issues and challenges; share experiences, as well as, research products; improve creativity and innovation of downstream products and promotion and marketing opportunities. - Bernama
