PUCHONG: The Fisheries Development Authority of Malaysia (LKIM) has approved the construction of large cold rooms in several locations to store fish buffer stocks on a large scale, said LKIM chairman Datuk Syed Abu Hussin Hafiz Syed Abdul Fasal (pix, centre).
He said the approval includes the construction of a cold room in Kuala Besut, Terengganu which can store 500 metric tonnes of fish and the cold rooms in Kuantan, Pahang, as well as several other areas in Perak, Kedah, Sabah and Sarawak that can store about 400 metric tonnes of fish.
“Even though the country has never faced problems with insufficient supplies of fish and vegetables since the Covid-19 pandemic, keeping a stockpile is to support the country’s food security effort,“ he told a press conference after the pre-launch of LKIM’s 50th Golden Jubilee celebrations, here today.
He said these cold rooms would also ensure that the people would always get their fish supply including during the monsoon season.
Syed Abu Hussin Hafiz said LKIM hoped that the 2022 Budget, which would be tabled on Oct 29, would pay special attention to matters related to food security to ensure the survival of consumers and fishermen.
“For future preparations, the government needs a detailed plan (on food security) and LKIM would like to request allocations to increase the number of these cold rooms for the purpose of the country’s food security,” he said, adding that the authority also requested additional allocations to help the country’s fishermen.
He said LKIM was committed to helping fishermen through various types of assistance such as fishing equipment aid, disaster aid as well as aid to build houses for fishermen, among others.
LKIM is also conducting a study to develop an online fish marketing platform, ‘MySeafood’, which is expected to be launched next year, he said.-Bernama
