KUALA LUMPUR: The Ministry of Plantation and Commodities (KPK) aims to expand the country’s cocoa cultivation area to 10,000 hectares (ha) by 2030 from the current 5,985ha to meet the growing demand for high-quality Malaysian cocoa.
Deputy Plantation and Commodities Minister Datuk Chan Foong Hin said the Cocoa Cultivation Promotion Programme is a strategic initiative by KPK and the Malaysian Cocoa Board to boost cocoa cultivation through the plantation sector.
“Coincidentally, I will also be holding the Sabah Regional Cocoa Cultivation Promotion Engagement Programme in Tawau tomorrow,” he said during a question-and-answer session in the Dewan Rakyat today.
He said this in response to a supplementary question from Datuk Lo Su Fui (GRS-Tawau) on the concrete measures taken by KPK to encourage cocoa cultivation in Sabah.
According to Chan, data in 2024 showed that the average price of dried cocoa beans had increased by 141 per cent to RM24,274 per metric tonne from RM10,073 in 2023.
In his reply to another supplementary question from Dr Halimah Ali (PN-Kapar) about KPK’s policy on the production of cocoa-based products such as chocolate, Chan said the ministry has been branding and promoting premium local cocoa products as single-origin and fine-flavoured cocoa.
“This approach enables cocoa producers to showcase the distinctive taste of locally grown cocoa, which can attract both local and international chocolate makers,” he added.
According to Chan, KPK and the Malaysian Cocoa Board have been providing various forms of assistance to help farmers continue their cocoa cultivation on a case-by-case basis.
This includes providing fertilisers to boost soil fertility and improve soil structure, as well as pesticides and disease-control agents to minimise crop losses due to attacks from pests and diseases. – Bernama