LKIM STOCKPILES 1,900 TONNES OF FISH FOR MONSOON SEASON

DUNGUN, Oct 9 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian Fisheries Development Board (LKIM) is stocking up 1,900 tonnes of frozen fish in preparation for the monsoon season.

Its chairman, Muhammad Faiz Fadzil, stated that this is to ensure an adequate supply of protein-rich food and to maintain stable market prices during the Northeast Monsoon (MTL) season, which is expected to start from November until next March.

"Typically, the supply of fresh fish will decrease during the monsoon season because fishermen on the East Coast are unable to go out to sea.

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"Therefore, LKIM has taken steps to store frozen fish stocks in collaboration with private intermediaries like the sector’s middlemen. The private sector is stocking up 1,600 tonnes while LKIM is storing 300 tonnes of fish.

"So there should be no issue of fish price increase. We will cooperate with the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN) if there are still parties attempting to manipulate prices arbitrarily," he said at the LKIM chairman's Rahmah Mesra MADANI programme with the fishermen community at the LKIM Dungun Complex here today.

Also present was LKIM Terengganu director Ahmad Nazri @ Abd Zaim Madri.

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Meanwhile, Muhammad Faiz also said that LKIM has built 68 new houses and repaired 212 fishermen's homes this year with an allocation of RM10 million.

He said Terengganu was the highest recipient of the Fishermen's Housing Special Project (PKPN) with an allocation of RM2.02 million.

"In Terengganu, 17 fishermen received new homes while 30 others had their houses repaired. Each repair costs up to RM20,000 while the cost of constructing new houses is around RM84,000," he said.

-- BERNAMA