SIX PROJECTS TO BE DEVELOPED IN JOHOR'S BIO DESARU INVOLVING RM792 MLN INVESTMENT

ISKANDAR PUTERI, Dec 5 (Bernama) -- Six new projects involving local and foreign investors are on track to be developed in the Bio Desaru area in 2023, with an investment value of RM792 million, the Johor State Legislative Assembly (DUN) was told today.

State Agriculture, Agro-based Industry and Rural Development Committee chairman Datuk Zahari Sarip said this was one of the state government’s efforts in achieving Johor’s goal of being the food basket of Malaysia.

He said one of the projects involved the development of a Bio Desaru Collection, Processing, Packaging and Distribution Centre (Bio Desaru CPPDC) with an estimated production capacity of 10,000 products per month.

In addition, he said a fish farming project using the Malaysia Recirculated Aquaculture System (RAS) 2020, with an estimated production of 10,000 tonnes of fish per year, is also being developed.

“We will also be involved in the development of shrimp farming and aqua-tourism projects with an estimated production of 4,500 tonnes of shrimp per year, in addition to the MD2 pineapple plant project and cash crops involving the production of 540,000 pineapple seeds and 598,000 kilogrammes (kg) of cash crops such as pepper, okra and chestnut bananas per year.

“Also being developed is a coconut pandan banana chestnut project with an estimated production of 1.15 million coconuts and 450,000 kg of bananas per year, as well as an Integrated Sustainable Food Production Zone (Bio Desaru ISPFZ) with an estimated production of 2,000 tonnes of vegetables and fish per year,” he said at the 15th Johor State Assembly sitting here today.

Zahari (BN-Buloh Kasap) said this in his reply to Rashidah Ismail’s (BN-Pasir Raja) oral question about government lands that have been and are being cultivated with high-value crops for domestic and export purposes in an effort to make Johor a leader in terms of guaranteeing the national food supply.

He explained that the Bio Desaru food valley was developed to respond to the state government’s efforts towards strengthening the food production chain.

Zahari said this could be done by effectively expanding the application of biotechnology in commercialising agriculture and emphasising bio-security and ecological preservation.

He noted that there are 29 projects, including projects that have been completed, are being developed and have not started development, through a cooperation agreement between Bio Desaru Sdn Bhd and 23 investor companies with a total investment of RM1.138 billion.

However, from the total number, only 18 projects are still active at the moment, added Zahari.

-- BERNAMA