SEREMBAN – Negri Sembilan's Fisheries Department is committed to making the state a "national lobster farming valley", in view of high market demand for the delectable crustacean.
Its director, Halimi Abu Hanip, said his team is providing technical advisory services and contributing livestock input to freshwater prawn farmers in a focused and targeted manner, including by conducting research to produce quality lobster seeds in collaboration with the Glami Lemi Fisheries Research Institute (FRI) here.
“Actually, the intention to make this state a lobster farming valley has been in the works for three years because of its high potential in Negeri Sembilan. So, our efforts have been continuous and enhanced towards achieving that.
"Many things need to be done to ensure it runs smoothly, such as encouragement to the breeders, good irrigation system and pool management knowledge, adding suitable land for new ponds, as well as capital resources and quality lobster seeds," he said today.
He said the lobster, a high-value species, is a popular livestock farmed in Negri Sembilan, especially in Kuala Pilah and Jelebu, with market prices reaching up to RM65 to RM70 per kg.
He said lobster production in Negri Sembilan last year rose to 64.66 tonnes compared with only 64.05 tonnes in 2018 and 43.01 tonnes in 2017.
However, there was a significant drop in this year’s production following the Covid-19 pandemic.
He said so far, there are nearly 50 lobster farmers in the state, a number he expects to go up alongside yields next year when the economy recovers from the effects of Covid-19.
On measures to help farmers finding it difficult to market their livestock products due to the pandemic, he said the department is in close contact with them and is actively promoting their lobster sales through various platforms, including social media.
"We also purchased lobster seeds from farmers for the purpose of releasing them into public waters and, through these efforts, reduce the burden of farmers, to some extent," he said.
Halimi said the RM100 million allocation for high-impact agriculture and livestock projects, such as lobster farming, announced in Budget 2021 could strengthen the sector in all states, including Negri Sembilan.
"Through the budget allocation and with the cooperation of the state government, it is hoped that the production of lobster in Negri Sembilan can be revived and doubled so that it can achieve an output of more than 100 metric tonnes a year." – Bernama, November 22, 2020
