I personally feel that the Government should not be the only party to be responsible in these researches but it would be better to get those Higher Institutions, Swiftlet Farming Association, NGO and individuals who are talented to also be involved in the area.
Perhaps the Government should come out with the proper guidelines on what special areas needs to quickly researched upon and these topic will be displayed on the Ministry website.
Those who are keen and serious in carrying out these researches shall be given a kind of grant so that they will have the money to acquire equipments for the research purposes.
For every research works there will be a proper objective and any result must produce a product that can be manufactured or produced to help the swiftlet industry. The return from the proceed shall be reused for other research projects.
I was recently approached by some individuals about what subject matters can be proposed to the Government.
Within less then one day I posted to him the following interesting topics:
List of Research Activities:
1) Production of Specialized Aroma.
a. Main objective is to develop a special aroma that will increase the number of bird nests in any new bird house.
b. To carry out this operation a suitable laboratory need to be installed complete with various apparatus that are required to perform the research.
c. The laboratory need to have water supply, heating oven, sokhlet extractor, blending machines, washing areas, weighing machine, measuring containers, sprays, beakers, mixers, safety apparatus, boots, refrigerator, storage boxes, storage racks and miscellaneous.
d. Total amount required is RM 30,000
e. Once invented, this specialized aroma can be sold to the market at Ringgit 1,000 per bottle of 500 ml.
2) Ultrasonic Bird Call Gadget
a. Main objective is to assemble and test a new soundless bird call gadget that will help to reduce the noise pollution.
b. Current bird call system produces high decibel sounds that are becoming nuisance to the public. According to most local councils main complains from public from most bird houses are the bird call sound that are being played almost 12 hours a day.
c. To carry out this research a special team of sound engineers need to be employed. Once the team is assembled they will be provided with the necessary equipment to be used in the manufacturing of a gadget that can be used to lure swiftlets to all new and old bird houses.
d. Total budget required for this research is Ringgit 150,000
e. Once invented the gadget shall be manufactured and sold to the market at RM 1800 per piece.
3) The Internal Design of a BH.
a. Main objective of this subject matter is to come out with the most desirable by these wild birds.
b. The design will be something that was rumored to be very effective and well liked by the birds.
c. This new designed is said to be similar to those “pig farm” where the nesting area will be provided with suitable partitioning that formed various rooms.
d. The cost to conduct the research is RM 40,000
e. Once confirmed this design shall become the recommended design for all BH under the Ministry of Agriculture.
4) Insect Generating Food Cabin.
a. Main objective is to design a suitable barn or cabin that can produce a total of 5 kilogram of insect per day.
b. Insect breeding are becoming the most effective method in luring more swiftlets to any new or old birdhouse. Once install all those birds in the surrounding will stop over at the Barn location and easily lured into your BH
c. A research team will be responsible is formulating the best food to generate a healthy and when consumed by the birds will perhaps produce higher quality nests.
d. The allocated budget for this project is Ringgit 100,000.
e. Once develop the cabin can be sold at Ringgit 3,000 a cabin.
f. The insect generating food can be sold at Ringgit 100 per kilos.
5) Breeding of Young birds.
a. Main objective is to breed swiftlet chick by incubation. Once they are big enough, they can be released into the BH.
b. This breeding of young birds is nothing new in the neighboring countries.
c. Eggs can be purchased from those that conduct forced harvest and be hatched using a suitable incubator.
d. Once hatch, the young birds will be hand feed with those insect produced by the insect barn.
e. Upon reaching 45 days the young birds can be released into the house and usually about 12-15% will be a permanent tenant.
f. The grant to carry out this research is at least 150,000.
g) The technology can be sold at least RM 5,000 per farmer.
6) Trans location of young Birds
a. Main objective is to transfer the young birds from the breeding center to any BH within say 50 kilometers away.
b. This idea have been done successfully in Sabah. It is well known that the Sabah Director of Forestry Department have used this technique for Sabahan.
c. Each registered BH owner is entitled to buy about 100 young birds from cave for their release inside their BH.
d. Once released these birds will normally return to the house and become a BH dwellers.
e. If this technique is well understood then all BH owners will have a chance to get their empty BH populated.
f. Once successful, the young birds can be sold at around 100 per chick.
g. The research allocation needed is RM 50,000.
7) Red Nest Cultivation Technique.
a) Main objective is to find out the most systematic method to convert a BH with say 500 white colored nests into red nest using natural method.
b) This special area is nothing new in the neighboring countries however we are not there yet.
c) Red nest are normally caused by some kind of waste product by a kind of yeast or bacteria that feed on ammonia gas and water.
d) There are common in old BH whose birdshit were not removed and the BH is wet.
e) The value of red nest is almost three times the white nests.
f) It make sense that if we can develop this technology we can easily hit 5 billion ringit of target by year 2020. Even with only 1/3 tonnage we still sell at 5 billion.
g) This technology can be patented and sell very well to all swiftlet farmers.
h) This technology can be sold at RM50,000 per BH.
i) Cost to carry out this research is about RM220,000
There are many more areas that have yet to be identified.
What the Ministry to do now is to get more input from the associations or individual swiftlet farmer.
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