TENOM: Sabah’s interior continues to hold its position as Malaysia’s top cocoa-producing region, with Tenom alone contributing 47pc of the state’s cocoa output between January and August this year.
Deputy Plantation and Commodities Minister Datuk Chan Foong Hin said Sabah accounted for 73pc of national cocoa production, compared to Sarawak’s 17pc and Peninsular Malaysia’s 10pc.
He was speaking at the launch of a Post-Harvest and Dry Cocoa Bean Grading Course on Tuesday organised by the Malaysian Cocoa Board (LKM) in Kemabong, attended by about 70 farmers.
Each participant received agricultural input incentives and cocoa seedlings under LKM’s Cocoa Farm Rehabilitation Programme (2024–2026), which involves 2,084 farmers over 1,344 hectares in Sabah with RM5 million allocated. In Kemabong alone, 118 farmers covering 103 hectares benefited.
The programme provides incentives valued at RM3,500–RM4,000 per hectare, aimed at improving productivity.
In addition, LKM is implementing a Cocoa Plantation Expansion Programme to increase national planting areas by 2,750 hectares within five years.
Chan said cocoa remains a high-potential crop contributing to agricultural sustainability and rural incomes, while government initiatives reaffirm its commitment to strengthen Malaysia’s upstream cocoa industry.
