Malaysian Cocoa Board Director-General Datuk Dr Ramle Kasin (middle) explaining to Johari (second from right) and Deputy Plantation Industries and Plantation Minister Datuk Chan Foong Hin (second from left) about how the cocoa beans are processed. Also present is Malaysian Cocoa Board chairman Datuk Matbali Musah.
KOTA KINABALU (July 30): The interior regions of Sabah have shown good cocoa production performance this year, contributing 37.5 per cent of the country’s total cocoa output.
A statement from the Plantation Industries and Commodities said as of May 2024, the export revenue from the cocoa industry in the country had reached RM4.8 billion, about 58 per cent of last year’s total.
Cocoa smallholders in Keningau have successfully produced over 1,000 kg/hectare/year of cocoa beans, compared to the national productivity average of 100 kg/hectare/year and some of the cocoa beans from this area are selected and purchased by producers of single-origin chocolate and beans-to-bar chocolate.
To support the development of cocoa cultivation in the interior of Sabah, the Malaysian Cocoa Board (LKM) is implementing several development programs, including the Cocoa Farm Rehabilitation Program, the construction of mini cocoa processing facilities and the dissemination of cocoa farm management technology through IoT applications and mechanization.
The mini cocoa processing facility in Kampung Liau Ulu has been completed at a cost of RM70,000 and is being utilized by 80 cocoa smallholders in the surrounding area. The production target is 100 tons of dry cocoa beans, which is expected to yield a profit exceeding RM200,000 annually, based on current prices.
The statement also disclosed that in 2023, the cocoa industry in Malaysia contributed RM8.2 billion in export revenue, highlighting the importance of this industry in driving the country’s economy.
To increase and attract youth involvement in cocoa cultivation, the Malaysian Cocoa Board has also established the Cocoa Youth Club, where members are exposed to opportunities to gain knowledge and increase income in the cocoa industry. This indirectly addresses the issue of labor shortages in the cocoa planting sector in the future.
The ministry consistently supports various initiatives implemented by the Malaysian Cocoa Board to ensure that the cocoa industry remains competitive and more productive, in line with the targets set in the National Agrofood Policy 2021-2030 (DAKN2030).
Meanwhile, Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani conducted a field visit program with cocoa smallholders in Kampung Liau Ulu, Keningau.
During the event, he also officiated the Post-Harvest Technology and Cocoa Cluster Strengthening Course, as well as the mini cocoa processing facility in Kampung Liau.