PENAMPANG: The Plantation Industries and Commodities Ministry will continue to implement policies to further strengthen and improve the competitiveness of the country’s cocoa industry.
This includes forming networking and cooperation in the development, research, commercialization sectors towards increasing productivity, modernization of the industry that focuses on the use of latest technology and innovation as well as introducing new value added products that fulfills market needs, said its minister Tan Sri Bernard Dompok.
In view of this, the ministry has targeted to expand areas planted with cocoa on an average of 2,000 hectares annually from 2012 to 2020.
This means that the area planted with cocoa can be increased from 20,543 hectares in 2011 to 40,000 hectares in 2020 which can contribute about 60,000 tonnes of cocoa beans, he said when closing an advanced course on cocoa planting technology in Kampung Kibunut here yesterday.
The Penampang member of parliament disclosed that in 2013, the Government had approved an allocation of RM12.6 million to develop 1,580 hectares of land with cocoa throughout the country under its ‘Program Tanaman Koko Baru’.
Of the total, 630 hectares had been allocated for Sabah and 43 hectares of it would be in Penampang, he said adding, “however, we can still increase the area if there are any new applications to join the programme this year or in the years ahead”.
Other than that, the Government had also approved RM28 million in 2013 to be used to increase the productivity of existing cocoa trees, Dompok said.
He disclosed that about 8,000 hectares would benefit from the ‘Program Pemulihan Tanaman Koko’ to increase production of cocoa beans.
From the total, RM10 million will be allocated to improve productivity and rehabilitate 3,179 hectares of areas planted with cocoa in Sabah.
Dompok was speaking at the ‘Kursus Lanjuntan Teknologi Tanaman Koko’ organised by Malaysian Cocoa Board, is under the components of ‘Program Pemulihan Tanama Koko’.
“Under this program, cocoa smallholders will receive assistance such as fertilizer, pesticide, weedkiller and farming equipment for a period of three years with the aim of increasing the productivity of the commodity.
“They are also taught the latest technology as well as good farming practices”, he said, adding that the course is part of the ministry’s and Malaysian Cocoa Board’s efforts to strengthen the skills and knowledge of cocoa smallholders.
This includes aspects in efficient farm management and post tapping technology, Dompok said.
According to him, in 2011, the commodities industry contributed a total of RM141.2 billion or 20.3 per cent to the country’s export revenue which was RM694. 6 billion.
From January to November 2012, the export revenue derived from commodities totaled to RM117. 6 billion or 18.2 per cent of the overall figure of RM645.5 billion. This year, the figure is expected to reach RM130 billion.
The cocoa sector is the fourth biggest contributor after oil palm, timber and rubber of the country’s export revenue and from January to November last year, the export value of the sector was RM3.3 billion compared to RM3.8 billion during the same period in 2011.
The decrease was caused by, among others, the weak economy of main export destinations in Europe, the United States and Japan, he said.
This year, Malaysian Cocoa Board estimates that the price of cocoa will be between RM6,500 and RM8,000 per tonne, and this is based on International Cocoa Organization (ICCO)’s estimate that the demand for the commodity will increase by 2 per cent from 3.96 tonnes to 3.99 tonnes.
This scenario will contribute to the stabilization of the cocoa price in 2013.
“I believe that cocoa planters will be able to profit with the price of the commodity at RM6,500 and RM8,000 per tonne. It is therefore my hope to see more people in Penampang planting cocoa either in small holdings or plantations.
“It is hoped that through this step, the requirement of local cocoa grinders which need about 300,000 tonnes of cocoa beans as the country only produced 3,630 tonnes in 2012 and had to import the balance from other producing countries like Indonesia, Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana,” he said.
Also present yesterday were Moyog assemblyman Datuk Donald Mojuntin, Malaysian Cocoa Board chairman Datuk Siringan Gubat and Malaysia Cocoa Board Director General Dr Lee Choon Hui.