KPK PLANS 500HA COCOA DEVELOPMENT IN SARAWAK UNDER 13MP

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 9 (Bernama) -- The Plantation and Commodities Ministry (KPK) has submitted a proposal to develop a new 500-hectare (ha) cocoa plantation area in Sarawak, which would position the state as the country’s main production hub under the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP).

Deputy Plantation and Commodities Minister Datuk Chan Foong Hin said the proposal is expected to be implemented next year under the Sarawak Cocoa Development Programme, in collaboration with the Sarawak government and the Malaysian Cocoa Board (LKM).

“We will allocate RM35,000 per hectare over a three-year period for planting activities, which will include appointment of contractors, registration of participants and cocoa crop development through outsourcing,” he said.

Chan said this during the Dewan Rakyat question-and-answer session today in response to a supplementary question from Rodiyah Sapiee (GPS-Batang Sadong).

He added that under 13MP, the ministry also plans to provide agricultural and equipment inputs for existing smallholders in Sarawak, covering 600 ha and involving 800 smallholders, with an annual allocation of RM3,000 per hectare.

Earlier, he said KPK, through LKM, has implemented five major programmes worth RM7 million in Sarawak, including the Cocoa Yield Enhancement Programme covering the Asajaya-Sebuya-Simunjan areas, under the “Rolling Plan” of the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP) from 2022 to 2025,

Chan added that the government has also implemented the Fine Flavour Cocoa and Organic Cocoa Planting Material Development Programme, as well as the Agricultural Modernisation Programme, which involves 329 farmers and covers 311.4 ha.

“These programmes aim to strengthen the competitiveness of the cocoa industry and ensure that the sector continues to contribute sustainably and significantly to the country’s economic growth. 

“The government remains committed to increasing the income of cocoa smallholders and expanding cultivation areas through replanting and the introduction of Fine Flavour clones,” he said.

-- BERNAMA