RM2 billion of raw and processed bird nests exported in 2008

Below is the news reported online by Eastern Times, a Sarawak daily, on 15th April 2009 on the bird's nest industry written by Zainon Talip.

Aziz: Go Into Bird’s Nest Farming

MIRI: The Director-General of the Veterinary Services Department, Dato’ Dr. Abdul Aziz Jamaluddin, urged local bird’s nest farmers to grab the opportunities offered by the bird’s nest (swiftlets) industry to help meet the increasing demand of the product by foreigners.
He told this to reporters after launching the state-level Veterinary Month at the Civic Centre here yesterday.

Aziz also hoped that the bird’s nest industry would move down stream, such as the cleaning and processing of the raw bird’s nests which could help to create more jobs.

“Last year, the bird’s nest production hit more than RM2 billion in raw and processed form for export, while RM700 million in 2007 and RM18 million in 2006. China is the biggest market, followed by Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Korea,” he added.

Aziz added that many Asian countries such as China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan and Korea considered the swiftlet’s nest has high nutritional and medicinal value.
He also disclosed that the agriculture industry has increased the country’s foreign exchange revenue tremendously over the last five years.

Meanwhile, Assistant Director of Veterinary Section of the State Agriculture Department, Dr. Chin Vei Ching, said Sarawak recorded export of between RM60 million and RM100 million a year of bird’s nest products.

Chin said the Wildlife Department was in the process of legalising agricultural land for bird’s nest farming in effort to encourage more local farmers to venture into the bird’s nest industry.
There are now more than 60,000 swiftlet farms in the country with Sarawak having over 1,000 farms.

Malaysia is the world’s third largest producer of the edible bird’s nests behind Indonesia and Thailand.

Bird’s nest can become Malaysia’s fourth largest export after oil palm, rubber and petroleum.

At the function, Aziz also handed over the a mock cheque for RM8.1 million as incentives for livestock breeders in the state.