Meriamah wants to market her bird’s nest drinks to China
MIRI: Meriamah Abdullah intends to be the first Bumiputera woman to tap into the China and Middle East markets for bird’s nest drinks and rabbit meat products.
She said millions of people in China and Middle East countries love bird’s nest drinks and rabbit meat, thus should be a good market for her agriculture products outside Sarawak.
“Presently, I’m supplying to Sarawak market but will try to market our bird’s nest drink and rabbit meat products outside the country soon,” said Meriamah, who is chairwoman of Sarawak Bumiputera Women Entrepreneurs Chamber (Dewanita) Sarikei, to The Borneo Post yesterday.
According to Meriamah, presently she could sell about 1,000 bottles of her bird’s nest drinks under the brand name ‘ Borneo Bird’s Nest’ in the local market, which she said is a good sign for moving forward.
She noted that bird’s nest is highly demanded in China as the people there take it as a health supplement while people in the Middle East countries love to eat rabbit meat.
She said she has her own place for processing and packaging bird’s nest drinks near Miri Airport Road.
On rabbit meat, she said presently she supplies about three tons of the meat to be used as satay and burger meat all over Sarawak, singling out Sibu as the biggest market because people there like to try other meat apart from chicken or duck meat.
“Rabbit meat has high fibre, less fat, is good for elderly people and asthma patients, provides energy and eases blood flow,” she said of the benefits of eating rabbit meat.
The Dewanita chairlady disclosed that the Federal Agriculture Marketing Authority (Fama) had visited her rabbit farm in Sarikei and been monitoring her progress and supported her move to market her products overseas.
She said she had been operating her five- acre rabbit farm for over five years and the number of her rabbits was increasing monthly.
“What is important for young entrepreneurs is to have the spirit to take up challenges and not to be demoralised as it needs hard work to be successful,” she said, while urging young entrepreneurs to be more competitive and venture into the bigger market.
She disclosed that an agency had proposed to include and display her products in Dubai and China in the near future, through which she hoped to obtain grants and assistance in selling her products in the international market.
According to Meriamah, Minister of Welfare, Women and Community Wellbeing Datuk Fatimah Abdullah visited her rabbit farm in 2015 and encouraged her to venture into the overseas market.
Besides Fatimah, Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Unggah and Meluan assemblyman Rolland Duat Jubin had also visited her farm, she added.
Meanwhile, yesterday Assistant Minister of Entrepreneur Development Datuk Mohd Naroden Majais visited her residence at Miri Airport road and was given a taste of her rabbit satay.
Present were Sarawak Bumiputera Entrepreneurs Chamber ( DUBS) Miri secretary Abdul Razak Joni and Dewanita Miri members.
Presently, I’m supplying to Sarawak market but will try to market our bird’s nest drink and rabbit meat products outside the country soon. Meriamah Abdullah, Sarawak Bumiputera Women Entrepreneurs Chamber Sarikei chairwoman