TAMBUNAN: A local lad, who saw the potential of the area’s high quality ginger a decade ago, has successfully marketed the product in China and Singapore.
Henry Charles, 47, who inherited his mother’s ginger business, said he had faced many obstacles, including making losses, rejection of damaged produce, shortage of capital and inability to meet rising demand.
“But, now, Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan has allocated funding to convert a workshop into a ginger processing factory,” he said at the launch of the facility in Kampung Botung here.
Previously, the entrepreneur said, they could only process a tonne of ginger a month. Now, they can process up to five tonnes.
He said 180ha planted with ginger here could produce about 90 tonnes.
Pairin, who is the incumbent Tambunan assemblyman, said the ginger was farmed in the traditional way and was highly nutritious.
“Besides elevating the status of Tambunan ginger to the international level, Henry has collaborated with a Universiti Malaysia Sabah researcher to carry out scientific studies on the ginger for patenting purposes,” he said.
“This is one of the government’s initiatives in nurturing entrepreneurs and boosting economy growth in Tambunan.”
Present was district officer Thomas Logijin.