More foreign workers approved to help boost bird’s nest production

 

Agriculture and food industries minister Ronald Kiandee (front row, centre) at the Malaysian Agriculture, Horticulture and Agrotourism Exhibition in Serdang today.

SERDANG: The government has agreed to allow the hiring of additional foreign workers for the bird’s nest industry, specifically to clean raw swiftlet’s nests, in order to overcome the labour shortage facing the industry.

Agriculture and food industries minister Ronald Kiandee said the approval depends on the annual production capacity of the companies involved. They must first be registered with the veterinary department and are subject to regulations on recruitment of foreign workers.

He said a total of 2,213 people were employed in the industry, slightly more than half being foreigners.

Bird’s nest companies have applied for 2,000 additional workers, he said after launching a registration system for local bird’s nest entrepreneurs at the Malaysian Agriculture, Horticulture and Agrotourism Exhibition here today.

-ADVERTISEMENT-

Ads by 

He said bird’s nest exports could reach 350 tonnes a year with an estimated income of RM2.8 billion by 2030.

Blockchain system to track bird’s nest exports

The MyWalet system launched today will register every level of the swiftlet’s nest industry chain from the nest farming to exports.

It uses blockchain technology to ensure that the system is more secure and user-friendly, especially for bird’s nest operators, he said.

Dr Norhaliza Abdul Halim, deputy director of the livestock industry development division said the MyWalet system was developed by the veterinary department and Universiti Malaysia Pahang.

Every bird’s nest product exported will have a QR code that will allow importers to trace back every stage of processing it goes through, thus increasing their confidence in products from Malaysia, she added.

The system would improve tracking of bird’s nest products and help in market penetration of exports.

“Importers from China require us not only to do a thorough inspection of the process of taking swiftlet’s nests up to the processing plant but also to improve the traceability of bird’s nests, thus ensuring that bird’s nest products from this country are genuine products,” she said. - FMT