By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, July 20: Kuala Rajang has the potential to emerge as one of Sarawak’s leading shrimp aquaculture centres, leveraging its vast mangrove ecosystem to strengthen food security, expand exports, and generate new income opportunities for local communities, Deputy Minister Datuk Len Talif Salleh said.
During a working visit to a shrimp aquaculture pond owned by Syarikat Mas Selumit in Tanjung Manis on Sunday (July 19), the Kuala Rajang assemblyman said the development of the industry is among the Sarawak government’s strategic approaches to strengthen the food security agenda, in addition to increasing the income of local entrepreneurs.
He also noted that Kuala Rajang, which has the largest mangrove forest in Sarawak, is a natural habitat for shrimp and various species of high-value marine life.
Speaking on his working visit to the shrimp aquaculture pond owned by Syarikat Mas Selumit, he said it was developed with the technical guidance of the Sarawak Fisheries Department.
He said that the project covers an area of 22.27 hectares with 25 livestock ponds that can meet the demands of the local and international markets.
“Each round of breeding, which takes about six months, can produce up to 100 metric tons of shrimp, while annual production is estimated to reach 200 metric tons,” he said in a Sarawak Public Communication Unit (Ukas) story.
Among the farmed species are White Prawn and Tiger Prawn, which are in high demand in the market. Tiger Prawns are exported to several major markets, including South Korea, Japan, and North America, while White Prawns are marketed throughout Sarawak to meet domestic demand.
He also has confidence that the development model could be expanded to other areas in Kuala Rajang.
Accordingly, he encouraged landowners who have the potential to venture into the aquaculture industry to utilise their respective land to generate income and contribute to local economic development.
He added that relevant agencies are ready to provide advisory services, technical expertise, and guidance to individuals interested in developing commercial aquaculture projects. — DayakDaily
