KOMUNITI MADANI KELULUT HONEY FARMING BOOSTS INCOME OF KAMPUNG MENERONG RESIDENTS

KUALA BERANG, April 19 (Bernama) -- The Komuniti MADANI Stingless Bee Honey Farming Project, carried out with funding from the Sejahtera Komuniti MADANI (SejaTi MADANI) initiative and the Public University Community Programme (Komuniti@uniMADANI), has helped raise the income of 35 residents in Kampung Menerong, near here, improving their quality of life.

Pro Vice-Chancellor (Industry, Community and Digital Networks) of Universiti Malaysia Terengganu Prof Dr Noor Maizura Mohamad Noor said the project, launched in April 2024, had generated economic returns of RM1,000 to RM1,500 per month for each participant.

She said that the collaborative project was implemented in groups,, with participants receiving guidance from experienced beekeepers and UMT experts.

“Alhamdulillah, UMT received a total of RM232,000 in funding last year to launch community projects, including the Stingless Bee Honey Farming initiative in Kampung Menerong.

“It is a high-impact programme that generates supplementary income through honey sales and the production of related products such as soap,” she said at the Aidilfitri celebration of UMT's Kampung Angkat MADANI in Kampung Menerong, here today.

Noor Maizura also shared that UMT was set to launch an oyster mushroom cultivation project in Kampung Menerong, which would involve about 30 participants.

According to her, the project was anticipated to generate additional income of between RM800 and RM1,200 per month for each participant.

“An allocation of RM50,000 under the Komuniti@UniMADANI fund has just been approved. We will start this project in groups immediately for the benefit of the local residents,” she said.

Meanwhile, Noor Maizura said that UMT would implement several infrastructure upgrading and development projects in Kampung Menerong, with the RM1 million allocated under the Kampung MADANI programme.

She said that the move was part of efforts transform Kampung Menerong into an eco-tourism area.

“We will upgrade several facilities, such as the hall and mosque, so that they are more comfortable and can be used as a one-stop centre.

“We will also improve the Little Amazon programme, a project that highlights the beauty of nature, to attract more tourists,” she said.

--BERNAMA