SPAOH: Local cooperative, Koperasi Apong Saribas Berhad, is looking to produce two nipah palm-based honey and vinegar.
According to spokesman Rasli Muslimen, the cooperative acquired a building at the Spaoh Agriculture Station as its factory, adding that Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas had given permission for it to operate from there.
Rasli, a local from Spaoh, is also a senior lecturer at Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas).
He said the cooperative was collaborating with the university’s Apong Research Group (ARC).
“We are funded by Unimas, Teraju and the Sarawak Bumiputera Entrepreneurs Development for two projects.
“This Borneo Apong Honey and Borneo Apong Vinegar are one of them.
“The idea is to help the local Iban and Malay communities and others here generate income to raise their living standards.”
Rasli said ARG had developed and patented a hybrid digital control cooking stove to process the raw Apong sap into honey.
“We will need about six months to prepare, including upgrading our premises at the Spaoh Agriculture Station.
“We need to follow MeSTI (Makanan Selamat Tanggungjawab Industri) standard besides the Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) and the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) as well as the halal certifications for our production.
“We will begin production after doing and acquiring all these.”
Rasli said although Gula Apong or Apong sugar was produced traditionally and using wood for fire, the hygiene aspect was a major issue.
“Our production will be hi-tech where the quality and hygiene aspects will be much better.
“As I have mentioned, our cooking stove will be digitally controlled.”
Rasli added that among others, the Apong honey would be a good substitute for sugar while the Apong vinegar could be used in food preparation.
