SEJATI MADANI: CATFISH FARMING PROJECT PROMISES NEW ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES FOR RESIDENTS IN TAPAH ROAD

TAPAH, 25 April (Bernama) -- A community-driven effort to build 10 cement ponds for a catfish farming project in Kampung Pekan Keci/Kampung Mak Teh is creating promising new economic opportunities for residents.

Launched last November with an allocation of RM100,000 under the Sejahtera Komuniti MADANI (Sejati MADANI) programme, the project is expected to generate a five-figure income following its first harvest next month.

Chairman of the Village Development and Security Committee (JPKK), Shaiful Haikal Ahmad Sapian, 37, said a total of 50,000 catfish fry have been placed in the ponds in stages since January.

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“Catfish was selected because it’s a hardy species that’s easy to farm and enjoys steady demand in both urban and rural markets,” he told Bernama during a recent visit to the project site in Air Kuning, a small town in the Batang Padang district, which is in the Ayer Kuning state constituency and the Tapah parliamentary constituency.

This small town has now become a focal point after the Election Commission (EC) called for the Ayer Kuning state by-election following the death of the incumbent Assemblyman Ishsam Shahruddin last February 22. Polling for the Ayer Kuning by-election is tomorrow.

According to Shaiful Haikal, for this inaugural project, each pond uses clean water sourced from the Batang Padand River and organic pellet feed to ensure the catfish remain fresh and free from the usual muddy smell often associated with pond-reared fish.

The project is carried out through a gotong-royong (communal work) initiative involving committee members and villagers, who have also been trained in pond management and site maintenance.

“When the first harvest is ready, we plan to distribute the profits into the JPKK fund to support welfare activities and the provision of public facilities in the village. We want everyone in the community to benefit from it,” said Shaiful Haikal, who is a father of two.

The project, which has received technical guidance from the Perak Fisheries Department, has attracted the attention of several wholesalers keen to become regular buyers.

In response to the growing interest, the JPKK is also planning to expand pond capacity to meet the anticipated increase in market demand.

He said apart from generating income, the project also serves as an entrepreneurship training platform for youth and housewives in the village.

“Our mission is not just about producing fish, it’s about training and encouraging more villagers to start small-scale projects that can generate consistent income for their families. If this project proves successful, we plan to apply for a second phase focusing on catfish fry (seedling) farming,” he said.

Asked about the direction of the project, Shaiful Haikal said the JPKK planned to increase the number of existing ponds and expand farming to other freshwater fish, including puyu.

He also encouraged other JPKKs to carry out such programmes to improve the village economy

-- BERNAMA