“The target is to produce 300,000 chickens each time by 2010, in line with the government’s plan to turn the area into one of the country’s major food production centres,” said Kuala Balah assemblyman Abdul Aziz Derashid.

He said the first group of 15 livestock breeders were now providing 200,000 chickens each breeding period and 12,000 eggs daily, with the target of 20,000 eggs daily by the end of 2010,” he told Bernama.

Abdul Aziz, who is also chairman of the Farmers Organisation Authority, Kelantan branch, said the livestock breeders also reared freshwater fish, cattle and goats, and engaged in farming, all on a small scale. Although located in the state’s interior, almost all of Kuala Balah’s villages have tarred roads and electricity supply, while the isolated ones are provided with generators.

“However, the clean water supply is still not satisfactory and residents get stored water from the South Kelantan Development Authority (Kesedar),” said Abdul Aziz.