KENINGAU, Sept 1 (NNN-BERNAMA) – Unless proactive measures are taken to tackle the issue of inadequate production of cocoa beans against the rising demand, the development of the commodity’s downstream sector would be adversely affected, said State Assistant Minister of Rural Development Minister Rasinin Koutis.
Aggressive action must therefore be taken to encourage cocoa planting as a new source of wealth to restore the glory of the country’s cocoa industry, he said.
“In 2018, for example, Malaysia only managed to produce about 814 metric tonnes (MT) of cocoa beans versus the local millers’ requirements amounting to 344,488 MT per annum.
“To avert a crisis, Malaysia had to import 343,674 MT from other countries,” he said during the ceremony to launch the third anniversary celebration of cocoa cultivation movement in Keningau recently.
Rasinin said Malaysia currently depended on its Asian neighbours, especially Indonesia, as well as countries such as Ivory Coast and Ghana for the supply of cocoa beans for domestic use.
The commodity began to be cultivated in Malaysia as early as in the 1770s, or about 249 years ago, and plantings propagated and contributed significantly to the country’s economic growth.
Since 1989 the cocoa growing area had expanded to 415,000 hectares, placing Malaysia among the world’s biggest cocoa producers.
However, Rasinin said, cocoa production in Malaysia had fallen as much as 70 per cent since 2011. The cocoa growing area has shrunk to 20,543 hectares, producing only 5,000 MT annually.
Production was reduced amid competition in land usage with other commodities, including oil palm.
However, in view of the high demand for cocoa beans today, the timing was right for smallholders to start increasing their participation in cocoa planting, Rasinin said.
“The demand is much higher than production, and based on the economic principle (of supply and demand), the market prices for cocoa beans will rise, which will be lucrative for the farmers,” he added.
NNN– BERNAMA