Growing major cockle business

Zainoddin showing one blood cockle grown by the Teluk Lekir model in Perak.

MALAYSIA will be able to produce some 150,000 metric tonnes of blood cockles (Tegillarca granosa) worth more than RM1bil by 2025, according to Batu Maung Fisheries Research Institute (FRI) in Penang.

Its research senior director Dr Zainoddin Jamari said the plan was feasible following the success of a farming model in Teluk Lekir, Perak, which could produce cockles all year round.

Previously, the cockle season was only once annually in the beginning of the year.

Zainoddin said the model would now be replicated in Penang, Kedah, Selangor, Negri Sembilan and Johor.

“If we price the cockles at RM10 per kg, we can grow a business worth a billion ringgit.

“The model carried out in the waters of Teluk Lekir in October 2018 had yielded impressive results.

“In 2019,23.89 metric tonnes of cockles worth RM3.2mil were

harvested while last year, 1,200 metric tonnes of cockles worth RM10.69mil were harvested.

“Between January and March this year, cockle farmers there managed to harvest 335.6 metric tonnes of cockles worth RM8.4mil.

“Following the success of this model, we believe we can increase the population of cockles in the country, ” he said during a press conference at the Batu Maung FRI.

Zainoddin said Malaysia was once one of the major producers of cockles.

“We produced 80,000 metric tonnes of cockles in 2007 for export and local consumption but production started to decline in 2010.

“Last year, only 16,000 metric tonnes of cockles were produced nationwide, a clear sign that the decline in produce was becoming serious, ” he said.

Zainoddin said that research conducted by FRI revealed the availability of cockles in Teluk Lekir was due to the pristine environment there.

“The clean water made for a conducive natural environment for cockles.

“Besides that, the cockles in Teluk Lekir also took a shorter time to mature and were of better quality in terms of size and texture.

“Within a month, we saw positive results.

“We can now replicate the factors found in Teluk Lekir, ” he said.

For Penang, Zainoddin said central Seberang Prai and northern Seberang Prai had been earmarked as suitable areas for cockle breeding.

“We are still awaiting a response from the state government to kick-start the project, ” he said.