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By Ashley Sim
KUCHING, July 26: In a new chapter of fish exporting, Borneo Eco Fish Sdn Bhd, with the assistance of the Sarawak Trade and Tourism Office Singapore (Statos), will ship 10 tonnes of ‘Sarawak Batang Ai Crystal Tilapia’ to Singapore, where it will be sold at Sheng Siong Supermarket, Singapore’s third-largest supermarket chain with 67 stores.
According to Borneo Eco Fish managing director Thomas Hii, consumers in Singapore can expect to see the Borneo Eco Fish logo in Sheng Siong supermarkets in August, as 10 tonnes of Sarawak Batang Ai Crystal Tilapia are scheduled to leave Kuching port on July 31.
“Sheng Siong has always been supportive of our products, and in a few discussions with their boss, he remarked that he had never tasted fish of such superior quality.
“We hope that their continued support will inspire us to continue fish farming in Batang Ai, which will ultimately benefit the local community,” Hii said during a press conference on the loading of latest shipment of Batang Ai Tilapia to Sheng Siong Supermarket in Singapore, which was held today at Borneo Eco Fish office in Bormill Commercial Centre here.
He went on to say that they currently employ about 70 people in Batang Ai and primarily cultivate tilapia and silver patin fish.
“Our products are also available in Kuching’s local supermarkets such as Emart and H&L, so this is nothing new in Sarawak; however, the significance of this time is in Singapore, where the Borneo Eco Fish logo will make its market debut in Singapore,” he added.
Hii also thanked Statos for continuing to organise trade missions and events in Singapore to promote Sarawak products for the past few years, in which Borneo Eco Fish also participated.
Meanwhile, Statos chief executive officer (CEO) Chew Chang Guan, mentioned that in addition to Sarawak Batang Ai Tilapia being sold in Sheng Siong supermarkets, they are also looking into other types of markets, such as restaurants and other types of players, that are interested in that kind of high-quality fish from Sarawak.
“In the future, in addition to selling frozen fish, we can also sell chilled fish in Jurong Fishery Port (JFP) in Singapore, which can be sold to other wholesalers,” Chew added.
Chew further elaborated on the Promotion Assistance Scheme (PASS) by Statos, explaining that Statos encourages more exporters from Sarawak to seek them out.
“If they want to enter the Singapore market or beyond, we have the Promotion Assistance Scheme that they can apply for through Statos for up to $10,000 per year.
“It’s a sharing basis, so by conducting this exercise, we can assist suppliers in competing with other products in Singapore, allowing us to enter the market much more easily.
“If you require additional information, please visit Statos or our website, which is more convenient for these suppliers, and we will be pleased to assist you further,” he noted.
Furthermore, Statos Finance, Corporate Affairs, Trade, and Investment manager Kenny Lau shared that the selling price per kilogramme of Sarawak Batang Ai Tilapia in Singapore is approximately $15 to $18. — DayakDaily
