Swiftlet birds live in the wild and choose hard-to-reach locations such as coastal cliffs, caves, and tall buildings to build their nests. The bird’s nests are made of a mixture of swiftlet saliva and other materials such as feathers.
However, obtaining swiftlet nests from the wild is difficult and dangerous since swiftlets usually build their nests in hard-to-reach locations like coastal cliffs and tall buildings. Therefore, farmers have developed ways to cultivate swiftlets and collect their saliva from nests made in specific locations such as caves and high-rise buildings.
Why Are Swiftlet Nests Expensive?
The process of making swiftlet nests and collecting their saliva is difficult and time-consuming. Swiftlet saliva is carefully collected and processed with modern technology to maintain its quality and cleanliness. Because this process takes a long time and requires a lot of resources, the price of swiftlet saliva becomes very expensive.
However, consumers are still willing to pay a high price to get the health and beauty benefits associated with swiftlet saliva. Some studies have shown that swiftlet saliva contains collagen and protein that are good for skin health and accelerate cell regeneration. In addition, swiftlet saliva is also known to increase growth hormone production and boost the immune system. This is another factor that makes the price of swiftlet saliva expensive.
How Much Does 1 Kilogram of Swiftlet Saliva Cost?
We know that the process of taking swiftlet saliva is costly and time-consuming. So, how expensive is the actual price of 1 kilogram of swiftlet saliva?
The price of 1 kilogram of swiftlet saliva varies depending on the quality, quantity, and purchase location. In traditional markets, the price of 1 kilogram of swiftlet saliva ranges from 5 to 10 million rupiah in Indonesia. However, the price can be much higher if the swiftlet saliva comes from wild nests that are hard to reach, such as coastal cliffs or high-rise buildings. The price of pure swiftlet saliva from wild nests can reach hundreds of millions of rupiah per kilogram.
Swiftlet farming has been developed in several Asian countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand. The swiftlet farming industry and mass production of swiftlet saliva have helped to lower the price of swiftlet saliva and make it more affordable. However, the process of producing swiftlet saliva still requires a significant amount of time and resources, so the price of swiftlet saliva remains high.
Although the price of swiftlet saliva is very expensive, beverages and foods containing swiftlet saliva are still popular in Asia. Some well-known beverage brands in Asia even offer products containing pure swiftlet saliva at a very high price. This indicates that the demand for swiftlet saliva is still high despite its high price.