Kuala lumpur: The Ministry of Plantation and Commodities (KPK) is set to expand Malaysia’s cocoa cultivation area to 10,000 hectares by 2030, up from the current 5,985 hectares, to cater to the rising demand for Malaysian cocoa.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Deputy Plantation and Commodities Minister Datuk Chan Foong Hin announced that the Cocoa Cultivation Promotion Programme, a strategic initiative by KPK and the Malaysian Cocoa Board, aims to boost cocoa cultivation through the plantation sector. He mentioned this during a question-and-answer session in the Dewan Rakyat, responding to a query from Datuk Lo Su Fui (GRS-Tawau) about measures to encourage cocoa cultivation in Sabah.
Chan highlighted that data from 2024 indicated a significant rise in the average price of dried cocoa beans, which surged by 141 percent to RM24,274 per metric tonne from RM10,073 in 2023. Additionally, in response to Dr Halimah Ali (PN-Kapar) regarding KPK’s policy on cocoa-based products like chocolate, Chan explained the ministry’s efforts in branding and promoting premium local cocoa products as single-origin and fine-flavoured.
The initiative aims to showcase the distinctive taste of Malaysian cocoa to attract local and international chocolate makers. Chan further explained that KPK and the Malaysian Cocoa Board have been assisting farmers in continuing their cocoa cultivation, offering support such as fertilisers, pesticides, and disease-control agents to enhance soil fertility and minimise crop losses from pests and diseases.