MARANG: A total of 12,000 red tilapia fry were released today at the Red Tilapia Fish Farming project site in Kampung Banggol Kapas.
Kampung Banggol Kapas Federal Village Development and Security Committee chairman Othman Abdullah said the project began in December after receiving RM100,000 under the SejaTi MADANI programme.
“On this 0.25-hectare site, we built three ponds, each capable of holding 4,000 red tilapia,” he told Bernama when met at the project site today.
Othman explained that fish would be reared for about three and a half months before being sold in Terengganu and beyond.
“Red tilapia, which usually weighs around 300 grammes each, are in high demand in the market,” he said.
He noted that a kilogramme can be sold for between RM16 and RM18, with total sales projected to reach RM60,000.
Othman stated that proceeds would help villagers who are struggling or unwell after paying wages and setting aside funds for maintenance.
“Insya-Allah, this project will provide us with additional funds to help those in need,” he added.
He expressed gratitude that the village received the allocation under the federal government’s SejaTi MADANI programme.
UMT Holdings technical officer Muhammad Mukmin Ahmad Razman said five employees would guide villagers in implementing the project.
“We will also ensure that the villagers can farm and sell the fish within the set timeframe using the biofloc system,” he said.
He explained that the technology uses bacteria to control water quality and provide supplementary feed for the fish.
“This helps speed up the farming process and produce better quality fish,” he added. – Bernama
