BEAUFORT: A proposed electricity supply upgrade costing nearly RM1 million is expected to give a new lease of life to the shrimp farming industry in Kg Bintuka, here, said Assistant Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Industry Datuk Ruslan Muharam.
He said discussions with Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd’s Beaufort district office found that a new transformer is needed to meet the electricity demand of between 100 and 150 shrimp ponds.
“We will strive to secure an allocation from the state government while also exploring the use of ministry funds to facilitate the installation of the transformer and assist shrimp farmers in Kg Bintuka.
“With a more stable electricity supply, production costs can be reduced, enabling farmers to offer more competitive prices to consumers,” he said.
Ruslan who is also Lumadan assemblyman said this after attending a programme to release 400,000 shrimp fries worth RM10,000, contributed by the Sabah Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Industry (MAFFI), at a shrimp farm in Kg Bintuka, here, on Thursday.
He said inadequate electricity supply had forced most farmers to continue relying on diesel generators, resulting in higher production costs.
Ruslan also said the ministry planned to provide cold storage facilities to allow surplus farm produce to be stored before being marketed.
“The facility will help maintain the freshness and quality of the shrimp while giving farmers the opportunity to undertake packaging activities to increase the added value of their products,” he said.
According to Ruslan, there are currently between six and eight shrimp farmers in Kg Bintuka, with some operating up to 10 ponds and generating more than RM2 million in annual sales.
“Our aim is to establish Beaufort as a shrimp production hub in Sabah. With better infrastructure and government support, more entrepreneurs will be able to venture into the industry, thereby strengthening food security and stimulating the rural economy,” he said.
He was confident that the shrimp farming industry in Beaufort had bright prospects, given the district’s extensive mangrove areas, clean water resources and strategic location near Brunei, Labuan, Sarawak, Keningau and Kota Kinabalu.
