PUTRAJAYA, July 18 (Bernama) -- Companies that meet the requirements to
export swiftlet nests to China should register with the Agriculture and
Agro-based Industry Ministry to obtain three quality certifications to enable
their products to enter the republic.
Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Datuk Seri Noh Omar said he
wondered why many exporters had not registered with the ministry as to date only
about 4,800 out of about 50,000 companies nationwide had done so.
He said the draft protocol on conditions on bird nest entry into China had
been approved by the Malaysian and Chinese governments, and waiting to be
signed.
The ministry will invite Chinese Minister of the General Administration of
Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine Zhi Shuping for the signing
ceremony of the protocol, he added.
"If he cannot make it, I am willing to go to China to sign the protocol,"
Noh told reporters here today.
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NOH-BIRD''S NESTS 2 (LAST) PUTRAJAYA
Starting this year, local companies exporting swiftlet nests to China are
required to obtain three quality certifications before their products will be
allowed to enter the republic.
The quality certifications were the Veterinary Health Mark certificate
issued by the Veterinary Department, the Radio Frequency Identification
certificate issued by the Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission and
the health certificate issued by the Health Ministry.
"As far as the ministry is concerned, we can give permission to companies to
export swiftlet nests to China once they are registered with us, but their
trading partners in China will have to comply with import conditions imposed by
their country," said Noh.
He said the strict conditions were imposed to safeguard the quality of bird
nests from Malaysia as China did not want any parties to use dishonest means to
export the products to the republic.
For example, he said China wanted to weed out exporters who bought low
quality swiftlet nests from neighbouring countries to sell them to China or
exported them through Hong Kong to gain entry into the Chinese market.
He said the Radio Frequency Identification would enable the authorities to
trace where the products came from.
-- BERNAMA
AZH AZH MB