KOTA SAMARAHAN: Sarawakians with idle land in the Sara Cocoa Cluster areas are urged to seize the opportunity to join the schemes offered by the Malaysian Cocoa Board.
In making the call, Plantation Industries and Commodities Deputy Minister Willie Mongin said the federal government had approved programmes under the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP) to assist smallholders and upstream cocoa entrepreneurs through new plantation schemes and provision of agricultural inputs.
“Under the 11MP (11th Malaysia Plan), the government allocated RM14 million to develop cocoa plantations in the Sara Cocoa Cluster areas such as Sebuyau, Kota Samarahan, Asajaya, Padawan, Tebedu and Serian.
“This project covers 525 hectares of land involving 526 farmers including the development of a chocolate processing and manufacturing complex at the LKM Cocoa Research and Development Centre located in Kota Samarahan.
“Sara Cocoa Cluster has established a cooperative under the 12MP to carry out part of these activities,” Willie told a press conference after officiating at the Cocoa Quality Improvement Course at the centre here on Monday (Dec 21).
He added that membership of the cooperative was open to all farmers, entrepreneurs, and individuals involved in the cocoa and chocolate industry in Sarawak.
Willie also urged cocoa entrepreneurs who were interested in producing downstream cocoa products to liaise with the Malaysian Cocoa Board for advice and assistance.
“Sarawak entrepreneurs can meet officers of the board in Kota Samarahan to discuss related matters,” he added.
“It can also help us identify entrepreneurs, so that we can together develop the downstream cocoa industry in this state and Malaysia as a whole,” he said.
