MALAYSIAN COMPANY EYES 300 TONNES OF SEAFOOD PRODUCTS BY 2011

By Muin Abdul Majid

DUBAI, Oct 13 (Bernama) -- Perak-headquartered Ambang Wibawa Sdn Bhd aims to
produce 300 tonnes of seafood products per month from 2011, and is in the
process of adding another 80 hectares of fish farm to achieve the target.

Managing director Murkhalis Mokhtar said the 12-year-old frozen fish
exporter was currently operating a 40-hectare fish farm at its base in Kampar in
northern state of Perak.

Speaking to Bernama on the sidelines of the Dubai Seafood Expo 2009 here, he
said Ambang Wibawa's products were currently being shipped to markets like the
United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Iran as well as Iraq.

"We're currently exporting around 100 tonnes of seafood per month. The
company hopes to ship out RM12 million (US$3.5 million) worth of products next
year," he said, adding that this year's sales figure was likely to be lower than
that.

Ambang Wibawa supplies, among others, frozen red tilapia, black tilapia,
milk fish, pangasius, Asian seabass and black tiger shrimp. The company has also
introduced a range of new dried salted and smoked seafood products.

"We reckon that such items are favoured by Asians residing in the Gulf
region as well as Africans," he said, adding that several distributors,
including from Rwanda, had inquired about the new product line-up.

Murkhalis said Ambang Wibawa was in the midst of recruiting 30 additional
workers to join its current 50 following the introduction of the new products.

He said the company's halal-certified products conformed to the highest
hygiene standards.

Ambang Wibawa is taking part in the Oct 12-14 seafood fair under the
umbrella of the Fisheries Development Authority of Malaysia which is represented
by its director-general Mustafa Ahmad.
-- BERNAMA