Malaysian bird's nest producers flocking to China-Asean expo

WEALTH CREATION

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia, the world's second largest producer of edible bird's nests, is sending a good number of industry players to the 8th China-Asean Expo (CAEXPO 2011) in Nanning, China, next week.

They represent about half of the 36 exhibitors occupying the Health and Wellness segment of the 2,900 sq m Malaysian Pavilion at the Nanning International Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Among them are Aeries Pure Bird Nest (M) Sdn Bhd, Dragon Bird Nest Sdn Bhd, Ecolite Biotech Manufacturing Sdn Bhd, EBN Industries Sdn Bhd, Golden Swiftlet Product Sdn Bhd, Sari Walit Sdn Bhd and Wing Shen Food Industries Sdn Bhd.

CAEXPO is an annual event held in Nanning since 2004 under the Framework Agreement of China-Asean Comprehensive Economic Cooperation.

It plays an important role in strengthening trade between Malaysia and China as well as with other Asean countries, and serves as an ideal platform for Malaysia to promote its products and services to the combined Chinese and Asean markets of 1.9 billion populace.

"The Chinese love our bird's nest. They know ours are of premium quality," said Malaysia External Trade Development Corp (Matrade) chief executive officer Dr Wong Lai Sum.

"Every year, a lot of distributors and Chinese companies come to this expo to source for bird's nest.

"Their first stop normally, if they are non-price sensitive and if they are quality sensitive, is the Malaysia Pavilion," she said in an interview.

The six-day CAEXPO 2011 starts on October 21. - Bernama