KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 8 (NNN-BERNAMA) — Five brands of local chocolate products will potentially enter the international market by end 2025 when Langkawi in Kedah becomes a national chocolate hub.
Plantation Industries and Commodities deputy minister II, Willie Mongin said the five brands are Ryverra Chocolate, Grandeur Chocolate, Malsa, D&J Chocolate and Hazleen Chocolate, which will be marketed in China, Middle East and Singapore.
He said the chocolate hub would have a major impact on the local chocolate industry such as increasing the average income of chocolate entrepreneurs by 10 per cent annually to RM16 million by the end of 2025 compared to RM10.7 million in 2019.
“Domestic cocoa consumption will increase by two per cent annually to 23,000 metric tonnes by the end of 2025 compared to 21,000 metric tonnes in 2019.
“Aside from that, the creation of a chocolate hub in Langkawi will further boost demand for local chocolate products. This demand will directly increase domestic cocoa consumption,” he said during the question and answer session at Dewan Negara today.
He was responding to senator Asmak Husin who had asked about the proposed chocolate hub model in Langkawi and its positive short and long term impact on the local cocoa industry.
Meanwhile, Mongin said the establishment of the chocolate hub in Langkawi is to encourage the participation of local chocolate entrepreneurs through providing a local business network equipped with various facilities for the production and sale of chocolate.
He said the ministry would continue to encourage cocoa cultivation through the Cocoa Cluster Programme in Ranau, Sabah; Kota Samarahan in Sarawak; and Raub in Pahang.
“The existing grinders are expected to use more local cocoa beans to produce semi-processed cocoa products. This will reduce dependence on dried cocoa beans which will be imported from the African continent,” he added.
— NNN-BERNAMA
