KELULUT HONEY EMERGING AS HIGH-POTENTIAL COMMODITY - DR ZALIHA

PUTRAJAYA, Feb 1 (Bernama) -- Kelulut (stingless bee) honey is increasingly recognised as a high-potential new commodity, said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories), Dr Zaliha Mustafa.

She said that based on statistics from the Department of Agriculture, Malaysia’s kelulut honey production reached 145,856 kilogrammes in 2020, with a value surpassing RM21 million, indicating the industry’s potential for growth when managed strategically.

“I congratulate Putrajaya Corporation (PPj) for responding to my directive last year on downstream products by introducing the kelulut honey product Maduku Putrajaya.

“After this, PPj can explore opportunities to obtain halal and organic certification for Maduku Putrajaya so that it can penetrate international markets such as Europe, the Middle East and Southeast Asia,” she said at the opening ceremony of the Putrajaya Urban Agriculture and Kelulut Open Day (HTPBKP) here today.

She also highlighted the success of 10 community farms in Putrajaya, which generated nearly RM100,000 in sales last year, with profits shared among the participating communities.

Dr Zaliha further emphasised the need to leverage the potential of community farms by fostering collaboration among farm operators, research institutions and the private sector.

“I want to see more efforts in creating downstream products that can be marketed broadly and serve as a source of income.

“It doesn’t have to be managed by local authorities, the communities can take charge. At the local government level, like PPj or the Federal Territories Department, we can provide mentorship from those who have succeeded,” she said.

The HTPBKP, organised by PPj, is being held over two days, with a target of 1,000 visitors daily.

The event aims to provide urban communities with opportunities to learn modern agricultural techniques for sustainability and environmental conservation, promoting eco-friendly practices such as organic farming.

HTPBKP also unveiled the Laman Dapur and Laman Kelulut, located at Taman Botani Putrajaya, as hubs for advancing urban agriculture and stingless bee farming in Putrajaya.

-- BERNAMA