CASH assistance for fishermen during monsoon season (BMTN) for the remaining two months of November and December this year will be disbursed by early December.
Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas said the government had approved to extend the assistance next year as well.
He said that to date, RM5.04 million had been spent for the first three months of this year to benefit 5,601 fishermen in Sarawak.
“On the Fishermen Fishing Equipment Input Assistance (BIPPN), a sum of RM20 million is in the process of implementation,” Uggah said in his winding-up speech for the Ministry of Modernisation of Agriculture, Native Land and Regional Development (Manred) on Friday (Nov 13).
When speaking about the development of the fisheries and aquaculture industry, he said to date, a total of 1,974 hectares had been gazetted as Aquaculture Industrial Zone (AIZ) including Batang Ai, Rambungan Loba Stoh, Selalang, and Sundar Awat-Awat.
“Under the 11th Malaysia Plan (11MP), a total of 70 farmers in AIZ Batang Ai and Sundar Awat-Awat have been assisted with a total allocation of RM10 million for red tilapia and seabass culture,” said Uggah, who is also Minister of Modernisation of Agriculture, Native Land and Regional Development.
In terms of the export market, he said one of the leading companies in Sarawak had exported 2,251 metric tons of frozen shrimp worth RM61 million to ten countries last year.
“At the end of the third quarter of this year, the export has increased to 2,567 metric tonnes with an estimated value of RM63 million. Another leading company has also successfully exported 60 metric tonnes of fresh water tilapia to Singapore since October last year,” he said.
As for the veterinary and livestock sector, he said that in order to increase the population of ruminants, the state had imported 1,000 heads of cattle, 300 heads of buffalo, 1,326 heads of goat, and 120 heads of sheep from Australia.
“To date, a total of 5,044 heads of cattle, 438 heads of buffalo, 1,110 heads of goat, and 120 heads of sheep have been distributed to the entrepreneurs under the Pawah System,” he said.
In addition, he said Artificial Insemination (AI) and Embryo Transfer (ET) technology were being pursued to increase the population of ruminants in Sarawak.
Uggah said the swine industry was another major export earner for the state.
“This year, Sarawak has exported 75,258 heads of live porkers worth RM105 million to Singapore. In view of this potential, the government has provided a sum of RM30 million to develop another three pig farming areas in Simunjan, Selangau, and Samarahan,” he said.
He noted that another lucrative industry was edible bird’s nest (EBN), adding that last year, the export value of raw clean EBN was RM69 million and for this year up to October, the export value was RM46 million.
