KUCHING, Dec 24: The Collecting, Processing and Packaging Centre (CPPC) for durian in Tarat will start operating on Jan 20 next year.
Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas pointed out that it will be the first of such centre set up under the Agriculture Department Sarawak.
“We had spent about RM5.6 million to renovate and refurbish the place which was once used for pepper processing. A local fruit exporting firm – Top Fruit Sarawak Sdn Bhd will be operating the centre.
“The centre would be used to produce durian pulp and paste which would be exported directly to China,” he revealed after visiting the centre yesterday (Dec 23).
The facilities at the centre had meet the requirements to allow it to obtain the HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point), GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) and MeSTI (Makanan Selamat Tanggungjawab Industri) food safety certifications, Uggah added.
He thus welcomed and encouraged farmers in the surrounding areas to sell their surplus harvests to the centre.
Uggah, who is also Minister of Agriculture Modernisation, Native Land and Regional Development, informed that a similar centre at Simpang Layar in Betong is now being developed.
Sarawak had sold 100 tonnes of durian paste to China and is targeting to increase the volume by another 100 tonnes in the coming fruiting season.
Joining him to visit Tarat CPPC were his wife Datin Amar Doreen Mayang and Top Fruit Sarawak Sdn Bhd director Chong Yie Loong.— DayakDaily
