KUALA LUMPUR: Nestle Malaysia, together with the Kedah State Department of Agriculture (KSDA), Kedah Economic Development Authority and Pertubuhan Kami Anak Felda have joined forces to revive the coffee farming sector.
Nestle (Malaysia) Bhd chief executive officer Juan Aranols said the Grown Respectfully programme is part of the company’s initiative to provide business for coffee planters, especially those in the northern region.
“We aim to train and educate 200 farmers under the pilot phase, and together with the KSDA, we will be producing 50,000 Robusta seedlings to be planted by mid-2020,” he told a press conference after the launch of the programme here today.
He added that Nestle currently has two factories producing its coffee product, Nescafe, in Malaysia, and the multinational food and beverage conglomerate is looking forward to use the locally grown coffee for its production.
“We currently import 17,000 tonnes of coffee from coffee producing nations and we are looking forward to integrate the coffee produced here into our value chain,” he said.
Aranols did not discount the possibility of expanding the programme to other states, adding that the company had formed a committee to ensure the success of the current programme.
“We need to ensure that we have the right type of coffee to suit the climate as well as the soil.
“Under this project, Nestle will provide planting materials and agronomical support through training sessions and field demonstrations,” he added. – Bernama
