ISKANDAR PUTERI, Dec 5 — The Bio Desaru vicinity in Kota Tinggi is expected to receive six new projects, involving investors from within and outside the country, with a combined total investment of RM792 million next year.
Johor Agriculture, Agro-Based Industry and Rural Development Committee chairman Datuk Zahari Sarip said the new projects are among the state government’s efforts to make Johor 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 to that, there will also be a fish farming project using the Malaysia Recirculated Aquaculture System (RAS) 2020 with an estimated production of 10,000 tonnes of fish per year.
“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 598,000kg of cash crops such as pepper, okra and bananas per year.
“A coconut pandan banana project with an estimated production of 1.15 million coconuts and 450,000kg of bananas per year, as well as an Integrated Sustainable Food Production Zone (Bio Desaru ISPFZ) development project with an estimated production of 2,000 tonnes of vegetables and fish per year is also in the plan,” said Zahari at the Johor state assembly session in Bangunan Sultan Ismail here today.
He said this when answering an oral question from Rashidah Ismail (BN-Pasir Raja) regarding government land that has been and is being cultivated with high-value crops for domestic and export purposes in an effort to make Johor a developed state by 2023.
Zahari, who is the Buloh Kasap assemblyman, said, the Bio Desaru food valley was developed to strengthen the food production chain by expanding the application of biotechnology effectively in commercialising agriculture in addition to emphasising bio-security and ecological preservation.
“In addition, there are 29 projects that have been completed, being developed and have not yet started through a cooperation agreement between Bio Desaru Sdn Bhd and 23 investor companies, with a total investment of RM1.138 billion,“ he said.
Out of that, Zahari said the total number of only 18 projects are still active at the moment.
