KOTA KINABALU, May 28 (Bernama) — The Sabah state
government will explore business opportunities to market local halal
food products that are agriculture- based in the East Asean Growth Area
that includes Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines
(BIMP-EAGA).
Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Yahya Hussin said one of the strategies of
the state government was to expand the agriculture-based halal food
industry by creating more Islamic Bumiputera entrepreneurs to
participate in the field.
“What we need to do is encourage them to commercialise the halal food products that they produce.
“Most Islamic Bumiputera entrepreneurs involved in the production of
food products that are agriculture-based, are only doing so on a small
scale.
“So, the time has come for them to expand their business to a bigger
scale, so that their products can be marketed to the BIMP-EAGA,” he
added.
Yahya, who is also the state Agriculture and Food Industry Minister,
said this to reporters after launching the “Test Bed” at the Malaysian
Agricutural Research and Development Institute (MARDI), Sabah at the
Kota Kinabalu Industrial Park, near here today.
The Test Bed is a processing laboratory equipped with machines and
equipment as well as a small scale production capability, for selected
food products.
MARDI has at present nine such Test Bed technology throughout the country.
Yahya said the halal food industry had the potential to be developed on
a commercial scale as it had received encouraging response for products
not just in the state but also the BIMP-EAGA.
In this respect, he said, MARDI’s initiative in creating the Test bed
is appropriate and timely, especially in exposing halal food
entrepreneurs to modern technology in the production of their products.
“MARDI is making available a number of equipment for the production of
soyabean products, the processing of sauces, traditional
cakes,cordials, meat and fish products as well as for baking,
“So, entrepreneurs in Sabah can undergo training on utilising these equipment,” he said.
Yahya also expressed the hope, that entrepreneurs and food
manufacturers in the state would grab opportunities offered by MARDI,
for the use of the Test Bed in an effort to enhance the quality of
their products as well as modern machinery.
— BERNAMA
