Kelantan emerges as major bird nest producer
KELANTAN has become one of the country's major producers of bird nests which fetch as much as RM6,000 a kg, depending on quality and season.
In Kota Baru alone, about 300 facilities have been set up and many of them are old, multi-storey buildings which have been renovated to accommodate the swifts to nest.
The bird nests can also be found in Tumpat and Pasir Mas, and most of them are operated by Chinese.
To attract the birds to make nests in the facilities, loud speakers have been put up to produce the sound of a couple of swifts chirping. This, however, is to the chagrin of residents near the facilities who cannot stand the sound, especially at dusk.
Kota Baru Municipal Council president Abdul Aziz Abdul Rahman said the council was in the process of registering all bird nest operators while the Housing and Local Government Ministry was in discussion with them to draft a set of rules.
We are waiting for the ministry's decision on the necessary measures or to stop them from carrying on with the business, he said in an interview.
Kelantan Bird Nest Traders Association committee member Ng Ching Phock said that each operator spent between RM300,000 to RM1 million to set up the facilities.
The investment is on the purchase or construction of buildings, renovation of premises to accommodate the birds, and putting up loud speakers to lure them.
The competition was intense as income depended on the number of swifts that nested in the facilities, he said.
The more the swifts that make nests, the bigger the revenue from selling the nests, he said.
Ng, who manages Nespure Birdnest Sdn Bhd which processes food from bird nests, said that class one unprocessed bird nests were sold at between RM4,500 and RM5,500 a kg depending on the season.
At certain times, it can fetch up to RM6,000 a kg, he said.
Swifts nests were nutritious and could help enhance blood flow, strengthen the heart, make asthmatic patients well and restore strength after a fever, he said.
He said the operators kept their facilities and surrounding areas clean and complied with rules set by the Kota Baru Municipal Council.
Generally, cleanliness is good, but the public complain about noise especially at night, he said.//Thestar 4 Oct
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