State Agriculture, Agro-based Industry, Food Security and Commodity Committee chairman Dr Azman Ibrahim said in Terengganu there are 599 farmers including freshwater fish, brackish water fish and shrimp with an area of ??13,035 square kilometers.

‘A total of 43 Aquaculture sector operators already have myGAP certificates so far. Among them is Isharp Shrimp Farm Sdn Bhd in Setiu. We aim for more than 500 farmers or aquaculture operators in Terengganu to have the certification in three years.

‘This certification allows local produce to expand to more distant places and enter the international market. Some of our entrepreneurs have successfully explored the market in European Union (EU) countries,’ he said after a Seminar on Good Aquaculture Practices and the Launch of Red Kenyir’s Supply Quality Assurance (SQA) Dashboard, here today.

Dr Azman added that they are also in the process of gazetting an area of ??3,000 hectares in Lake Kenyir as an aquaculture industry zone.

According to him, this move is to ens
ure a more systematic management system and eleminate bureaucracy towards becoming a major producer of aquaculture products in Malaysia.

‘Last year the total landing of aquaculture livestock in Terengganu amounted to 5,580.17 tonnes, slightly increased compared to 2022 which was 5,550.95 tonnes.

‘Although the percentage is not so large, at least there is an improvement. We need to focus seriously on the aquaculture sector since the results from the marine sector or sea catch has experienced a static trend,’ he said.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency