Borneo Post
by Wilson Luke
February 28, 2010, Sunday
On average, unprocessed bird’s nests can fetch RM4,000 per kg, meaning the industry can generate RM48 million a month.
A lucrative business to venture into at the moment maybe just flying around the corner.
Trading in bird’s nests has found a niche in the market after it began more than a century ago with the first recorded harvesting being carried out at the Niah Caves in 1878.
Indonesia was the first nation to commercialise the commodity due to its high value globally.
However, in the late 1990s when the haze blanketted the Southeast Asian region, most of the birds from Indonesia migrated across the border to Sarawak and the peninsula.
That was when Loh Siaw Kuei, a third generation supplier of local bird’s nests, started to take interest in swiflets ranching.
He recalled previously, they had to rely on suppliers from Niah in Miri before they could process and export the commodity mainly to China.
According to him, the old processing method left behind a lot of impurities, and supplies from the harvesters were also inconsistent.
In 2000, he decided to venture into swiftlets ranching and he put up a building just outside the city for the purpose.
“I started with an investment of RM30,000,” said Loh, arguably a local pioneer in modern swiftlets ranching.
He forked out another RM10,000 to buy the equipment needed to attract the swiftlets.
Being new to the venture, he sought help from friends and business partners in the peninsula who had started much earlier.
“It was truly by trial and error,” Loh said, adding that he started almost from scratch and persevered for more than five years before seeing the fruit of his labour.
Now, Loh has five ‘bird houses’ in Kuching and Samarahan.
“If the bird house turns out to be good, you can expect about 100 to 300 nests in the first year,” he said.
According to him, to be a successful swiftlets farmer, the three most important criteria are (1) getting started; (2) waiting (patiently) for the swiftlets to build their nests and (3) be innovative and constantly upgrading the farm with knowledge and technology.
It is estimated there are 1,000 bird houses in Sarawak and presently, about 10,000 buildings are used as swiftlet ranches nationwide, producing roughly 12 tonnes of bird’s nests monthly to which Sarawak contributes some five tones.
Presently, Loh obtains a lot of supplies from the Sarawak Bird’s Nests Merchant Association (SBNMA) of which he is president.
On average, unprocessed bird’s nests can fetch RM4,000 per kg, depending on the graded quality. This means the industry is capable of generating RM48 million a month.
Although Mukah is the main centre for swiftlets ranching, other areas with their own potential are Kuching, Bintulu, Sarikei and Sibu.
Basically, there are two types of products — cave bird’s nests and house bird’s nests.
According to Loh, not many bird’s nests are obtained from caves after the introduction of bird houses.
“The nests from bird houses are much cleaner and more hygienic compared to those produced in caves.”
The two swiflets species producing the edible bird’s nests are collocolia fuciphaga/aerodramus fuciphagus (AF) and collocolia maxima/aerodramus maximus (AM) found mostly in Malaysia at present.
The bird house has to be insulated and properly ventilated with the temperature kept below 30 degrees Celcius for the swiftlets to stay and breed.
Under normal circumstances, a pair produces two eggs per season — and three times in a year. If the bird house is conducive, by the 10th year, the total number of swiftlets could exceed 700,000 pairs with an estimated population of 1.5 million.
Although on paper, this may look impressive but in reality, it might not be accurate. However, even achieving only half the population figure would be regarded as a success.
A female swiftlet remains productive for 10 to 15 years and can live up to 25 years.
Bird’s nests are used in medicine, cosmetics and the food-based industry, worth RM1.5 billion annually in Malaysia through the export of raw bird’s nests, especially to China.
Recently, there was proposal to launch a multi-million ringgit swiftlets eco park in Sarawak to accommodate the thriving local bird’s nests industry.
So far, seven sites have been identified around Kuching, Sarikei, Bintulu and Mukah.
The project involves the construction of terrace houses or shoplots for swiftlets farming and processing in a systematic and ecologically friendly manner.
For those interested in swiftlets ranching, the bird’s nests industry is under the purview of the Wildlife Protection Ordinance 1998, Wildlife Protection (Edible Bird Nests) Rule 1998 and Wildlife Protection Rules 1998.
What this means is that the birds may live and be harvested with licence in their natural habitat such as cave dwellings but prohibited in urban or residential areas.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Rural areas could be bird’s nests goldmine
Borneo Post
February 24, 2010, Wednesday
LIMBANG: Rural areas could be a bird’s nests goldmine through the state government’s efforts to promote swiftlet rearing outside urban centres.Assistant Minister of Tourism and Heritage Datuk Talib Zulpilip said the industry has a bright future due to the lucrative returns and larger areas in villages to set up swiftlet nesting homes.
“The swiftlet industry has shifted out of town now and there is growing potential to expand this promising industry in villages and rural areas,” he said when officiating at the Sarawak Economic Development Corporation (SEDC) course on swiftlet rearing yesterday.
Among those present were Deputy Limbang Resident (Social Development) Stephen Kalong and Limbang District Council chairman Sufian Mohat.
Talib, who is also SEDC chairman, said Sarawak’s bird’s nests quality has long been renowned throughout the country and internationally, including in China, as experts recognize its special characteristics.
This presents many opportunities for those interested to diversify their economic activities, he said.
The huge demand for bird’s nests and vast agricultural land in the state, particularly outside urban centres, is a golden opportunity for Bumiputeras, he added.
Talib explained that although the start-up capital expenditure may vary between RM40,000 and RM50,000, the handsome returns made the investment worthwhile.
“A kilogramme, depending on the grade, can fetch between RM4,500 and RM6,500 locally, while the highest price is between RM12,000 and RM24,000,” he said.
He said more studies need to be carried out to further develop the industry.
Meanwhile, Bukit Kota assemblyman Dr Abdul Rahman Ismail, in his speech, called for greater local involvement in higher value economic programmes to enable locals to raise their household incomes.
This should be the trend of communities in Limbang district as the government through SEDC, he said, could assist through a host of economic development programmes.
“When the people’s income and economic standards rise, it will have a knock-on effect on the country’s economic growth,” he pointed out.
He said this is the rationale behind the government’s optimism in encouraging the people to be positive-minded and determined to succeed in various fields.
“The society generally is highly determined to take on various fields that promise good returns, including the lucrative swiftlets rearing industry,” he added.
Swiftlet rearing is taking off in stages in Lawas District.
Two hundred participants from Limbang, Lawas and Ba Kelalan attended the one-day course.
February 24, 2010, Wednesday
LIMBANG: Rural areas could be a bird’s nests goldmine through the state government’s efforts to promote swiftlet rearing outside urban centres.Assistant Minister of Tourism and Heritage Datuk Talib Zulpilip said the industry has a bright future due to the lucrative returns and larger areas in villages to set up swiftlet nesting homes.
“The swiftlet industry has shifted out of town now and there is growing potential to expand this promising industry in villages and rural areas,” he said when officiating at the Sarawak Economic Development Corporation (SEDC) course on swiftlet rearing yesterday.
Among those present were Deputy Limbang Resident (Social Development) Stephen Kalong and Limbang District Council chairman Sufian Mohat.
Talib, who is also SEDC chairman, said Sarawak’s bird’s nests quality has long been renowned throughout the country and internationally, including in China, as experts recognize its special characteristics.
This presents many opportunities for those interested to diversify their economic activities, he said.
The huge demand for bird’s nests and vast agricultural land in the state, particularly outside urban centres, is a golden opportunity for Bumiputeras, he added.
Talib explained that although the start-up capital expenditure may vary between RM40,000 and RM50,000, the handsome returns made the investment worthwhile.
“A kilogramme, depending on the grade, can fetch between RM4,500 and RM6,500 locally, while the highest price is between RM12,000 and RM24,000,” he said.
He said more studies need to be carried out to further develop the industry.
Meanwhile, Bukit Kota assemblyman Dr Abdul Rahman Ismail, in his speech, called for greater local involvement in higher value economic programmes to enable locals to raise their household incomes.
This should be the trend of communities in Limbang district as the government through SEDC, he said, could assist through a host of economic development programmes.
“When the people’s income and economic standards rise, it will have a knock-on effect on the country’s economic growth,” he pointed out.
He said this is the rationale behind the government’s optimism in encouraging the people to be positive-minded and determined to succeed in various fields.
“The society generally is highly determined to take on various fields that promise good returns, including the lucrative swiftlets rearing industry,” he added.
Swiftlet rearing is taking off in stages in Lawas District.
Two hundred participants from Limbang, Lawas and Ba Kelalan attended the one-day course.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Company promotes bird’s nest products among Malay community
Borneo Post
February 23, 2010, Tuesday
ALOR SETAR: Budi Daya Burung Trading (Daya Burung), a Bumiputera company which processes and markets bird’s nest, is promoting its products to get more people, especially the Malays, to enjoy the delicacy.Under a promotion package, the company is offering the grade ‘A’ bird’s nest produced from the nesting houses of swiftlet birds, at a special economy package priced at RM3 per bottle.
The bird’s nest product can be ordered directly from the company, its managing director Nazri Hood said.
He said the company’s bird’s nest taken from the swiflet birds was nutritious and its benefits similar to that produced by the Niah Caves bird nest which is said to be best in the world.
The higher priced bird nest from the Niah Caves come from the ‘Maharaja’ birds, he explained.
Daya Burung is the first Bumiputera company involved in the wholesale as well as production and trading of bird’s nest.
The company’s bird nest is marketed under the brand name of ‘Budi Birds Al-Kautsar’ in the country.
Nazri said the consumption of bird’s nest is a tradition among the Chinese, which has been proven to be effective in the treatment of various illnesses.
It can be used to improve energy and immunity levels, among others, he said.
“However, its high price has prevented many people from enjoying the nutrition of bird’s nest which will be good for their health,” he said in an interview with Bernama here yesterday.
In view of this, the company is now offering the Niah Caves ‘A’ grade bird’s nest in a four-bottle pack of 170ml each at RM138.
They are available at pharmacies as well as traditional Chinese medicine shops nationwide, he added.
“Our bird’s nest are hand processed at a controlled temperature to ensure its natural value and quality,” Nazri said.
He said the demand for Daya Burung products had gone up to RM5 million a month since last year including its export demand.
Nazri said the company obtained an average of 200 kg of bird’s nest a week from the Niah Caves as well as from the nesting houses and currently met the demands sufficiently.
In order to meet the growing demand, he said the company was also looking out for investors keen on joint ventures to build more nesting houses.
He said the company also currently provided consultancy services to companies keen to develop nesting houses for the swiftlets birds. — Bernama
February 23, 2010, Tuesday
ALOR SETAR: Budi Daya Burung Trading (Daya Burung), a Bumiputera company which processes and markets bird’s nest, is promoting its products to get more people, especially the Malays, to enjoy the delicacy.Under a promotion package, the company is offering the grade ‘A’ bird’s nest produced from the nesting houses of swiftlet birds, at a special economy package priced at RM3 per bottle.
The bird’s nest product can be ordered directly from the company, its managing director Nazri Hood said.
He said the company’s bird’s nest taken from the swiflet birds was nutritious and its benefits similar to that produced by the Niah Caves bird nest which is said to be best in the world.
The higher priced bird nest from the Niah Caves come from the ‘Maharaja’ birds, he explained.
Daya Burung is the first Bumiputera company involved in the wholesale as well as production and trading of bird’s nest.
The company’s bird nest is marketed under the brand name of ‘Budi Birds Al-Kautsar’ in the country.
Nazri said the consumption of bird’s nest is a tradition among the Chinese, which has been proven to be effective in the treatment of various illnesses.
It can be used to improve energy and immunity levels, among others, he said.
“However, its high price has prevented many people from enjoying the nutrition of bird’s nest which will be good for their health,” he said in an interview with Bernama here yesterday.
In view of this, the company is now offering the Niah Caves ‘A’ grade bird’s nest in a four-bottle pack of 170ml each at RM138.
They are available at pharmacies as well as traditional Chinese medicine shops nationwide, he added.
“Our bird’s nest are hand processed at a controlled temperature to ensure its natural value and quality,” Nazri said.
He said the demand for Daya Burung products had gone up to RM5 million a month since last year including its export demand.
Nazri said the company obtained an average of 200 kg of bird’s nest a week from the Niah Caves as well as from the nesting houses and currently met the demands sufficiently.
In order to meet the growing demand, he said the company was also looking out for investors keen on joint ventures to build more nesting houses.
He said the company also currently provided consultancy services to companies keen to develop nesting houses for the swiftlets birds. — Bernama
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Cabinet to look into bird’s nest guideline
Friday February 19, 2010
The Star
KUALA LUMPUR: The Swiftlet Industry Guideline, expected to be presented to the Cabinet next week, will give the industry a much-needed framework to operate in a sustainable manner.
The guideline, if accepted, will put Malaysia ahead of leading bird’s nest producers like Indonesia and Thailand.
“It will be the first swiftlet industry guideline in the world,” said Veterinary Services Department director-general Datuk Dr Abdul Aziz Jamaluddin.
The swiftlet industry is worth RM1.5bil annually.
The guideline, he added, would provide the framework to supervise the industry in a holistic way, including in terms of licensing, sampling, production and export of swiftlet bird’s nest abroad, particularly to China.
Dr Aziz said the guideline had the full support of the Health, Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry, and the Housing and Local Government ministries.
The speed at which the industry grew over the last few years has resulted in a major dilemma over the licensing of swiftlet-rearing premises in shophouses, due to the health risk, smell and noise.
Federation of Swiftlet Nest Merchants Association chairman Datuk Beh Heng Seong said the guideline would resolve the problem as owners of premises would have to agree with the conditions if they wanted to remain in business.
“It will become a standard for all local authorities,” he said.
Malaysia has about 50,000 swiftlet premises producing over 12 tonnes of bird’s nest monthly.
One kilogram of bird’s nest can fetch RM4,000. – Bernama
The Star
KUALA LUMPUR: The Swiftlet Industry Guideline, expected to be presented to the Cabinet next week, will give the industry a much-needed framework to operate in a sustainable manner.
The guideline, if accepted, will put Malaysia ahead of leading bird’s nest producers like Indonesia and Thailand.
“It will be the first swiftlet industry guideline in the world,” said Veterinary Services Department director-general Datuk Dr Abdul Aziz Jamaluddin.
The swiftlet industry is worth RM1.5bil annually.
The guideline, he added, would provide the framework to supervise the industry in a holistic way, including in terms of licensing, sampling, production and export of swiftlet bird’s nest abroad, particularly to China.
Dr Aziz said the guideline had the full support of the Health, Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry, and the Housing and Local Government ministries.
The speed at which the industry grew over the last few years has resulted in a major dilemma over the licensing of swiftlet-rearing premises in shophouses, due to the health risk, smell and noise.
Federation of Swiftlet Nest Merchants Association chairman Datuk Beh Heng Seong said the guideline would resolve the problem as owners of premises would have to agree with the conditions if they wanted to remain in business.
“It will become a standard for all local authorities,” he said.
Malaysia has about 50,000 swiftlet premises producing over 12 tonnes of bird’s nest monthly.
One kilogram of bird’s nest can fetch RM4,000. – Bernama
Thursday, February 11, 2010
RM5 Million Allocation For Swiftlet Bird Farming
February 11, 2010 23:14 PM
Bernama
PUTRAJAYA, Feb 11 (Bernama) -- The government has provided a grant of RM5 million this year to help the poor to venture into swiftlet farming.
Director-general of Veterinary Services Datuk Dr Abdul Aziz Jamaluddin said those who were eligible would be identified from the application through the respective state Veterinary Department, and the decision on the selection of the candidates would be known within two months.
Besides financial assistance, they would also be given courses on farming the Swiftlets before starting the business, he told reporters here Thursday.
Dr Abdul Aziz said although the number was relatively small, it was a starting point and additional provision would be requested if the programme proved to be successful.
He said the government had provided a RM200 million loan through the Agro Bank for those who wanted to venture into the business on a moderate or big scale but the project would have to wait for the approval from the Finance Ministry.
-- BERNAMA
Bernama
PUTRAJAYA, Feb 11 (Bernama) -- The government has provided a grant of RM5 million this year to help the poor to venture into swiftlet farming.
Director-general of Veterinary Services Datuk Dr Abdul Aziz Jamaluddin said those who were eligible would be identified from the application through the respective state Veterinary Department, and the decision on the selection of the candidates would be known within two months.
Besides financial assistance, they would also be given courses on farming the Swiftlets before starting the business, he told reporters here Thursday.
Dr Abdul Aziz said although the number was relatively small, it was a starting point and additional provision would be requested if the programme proved to be successful.
He said the government had provided a RM200 million loan through the Agro Bank for those who wanted to venture into the business on a moderate or big scale but the project would have to wait for the approval from the Finance Ministry.
-- BERNAMA
Firm blocked from offering swiftlets investment schemes
Thursday February 11, 2010
The Star
PETALING JAYA: The Companies Commission of Malaysia (CCM) has obtained an injunction to prevent a company from offering investment schemes involving the commercial rearing of swiftlets; with promised returns to investors derived from the selling of bird’s nests.
The High Court ruling on Feb 9 on Golden Nest Properties International (M) Berhad also applies to the agents, staff and other entities of Golden Nest until the company complies with Section IV, Division 5, of the Companies Act 1965, said CCM in a statement.
Golden Nest will also have to register deeds of trust with the CCM before continuing with their business operations.
CCM said Golden Nest, which started operating in November 2008, guaranteed returns to investors who were involved in its bird’s nest investment schemes.
CCM advised members of the public to be cautious when investing in schemes which are not registered with any regulatory body in Malaysia.
The Star
PETALING JAYA: The Companies Commission of Malaysia (CCM) has obtained an injunction to prevent a company from offering investment schemes involving the commercial rearing of swiftlets; with promised returns to investors derived from the selling of bird’s nests.
The High Court ruling on Feb 9 on Golden Nest Properties International (M) Berhad also applies to the agents, staff and other entities of Golden Nest until the company complies with Section IV, Division 5, of the Companies Act 1965, said CCM in a statement.
Golden Nest will also have to register deeds of trust with the CCM before continuing with their business operations.
CCM said Golden Nest, which started operating in November 2008, guaranteed returns to investors who were involved in its bird’s nest investment schemes.
CCM advised members of the public to be cautious when investing in schemes which are not registered with any regulatory body in Malaysia.
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