KUCHING: The Premier is confident that Bumiputera entrepreneurs are capable of venturing into circular economy that focuses on the environmental issue.
In stating this, Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg said that they can venture into producing animal feed using the oil palm waste.
He added that by producing the animal feed using the said resource, Sarawak will be able to control the market price of the commodities instead of spending billions importing the animal feeds from overseas.
“Our problem today is the rising price of chicken and eggs. If we raise chickens, the chickens definitely need to eat, so we import the animal feed, costing billions of ringgit, to feed them.
“(Of course, to tackle the issue), everyone is talking about, but there is a new technology that allows you to use oil palm waste as biomass and turn it into animal feed.
“The technology is there, but we don’t use the oil palm waste and just throw it away.
“On top of that, when Malaysia’s currency is weak, surely the import prices will rise, and if we don’t feed the chickens, they will die.
“That is why, like it or not, we have to import animal feed, and this causes the price of chicken and eggs to rise,” he said at the Sarawak Bumiputera Entrepreneurs Award Giving Ceremony at Riverside Majestic Hotel last night (Jan 13).
Abang Johari stated that after looking into the issue, he has given the Ministry of Food Industry, Commodity and Regional Development six months to produce the animal feed from oil palm waste.
“I have instructed the Sarawak Land Consolidation and Rehabilitation Authority (SALCRA) to start the project off, and I’ve provided seed money to create animal feed.
“This is because we can control the prices of chicken, eggs and other meat-based products when we create our own animal feed. This is a circular economy,” he said.
Giving an example, he stated that on the fish farming project in Batang Ai, 60 per cent of the project’s cost is the cost of animal feed, which is all imported.
“That is why we want the potential entrepreneurs from the Sarawak Bumiputera Entrepreneurs Chamber (DUBS) to venture into this new field.
“We have venture capital for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and if you want to do it, we can take equity together with the government as the equity holder.
“Then, if you start a factory later on, you can purchase at RM1 market price,” he said.
