SAMARAHAN: Commodity tourism activities (agritourism) involving educational tours under the management of Koperasi Kluster Koko Sarawak were launched today (Sept 30) in conjunction with Hari Berandau and Koperasi Kluster Koko.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof said the activities are carried out in collaboration with the Samarahan Resident Office, Sarawak Tourism Board (STB), Ministry of Tourism Arts and Culture (MOTAC) and tourism agencies in Sarawak apart from the Malaysian Cooperative Commission (SKM).
“With the activity launched, visitors can not only relax their minds, but can also learn about the cocoa production starting from the plant to the finished chocolate product.
“It is hoped that with this latest activity, it will be able to increase the awareness of the public and tourists on the cocoa industry in Sarawak,” he said.
He said this when officiating the Hari Berandau and Koperasi Kluster Koko at Pusat Penyelidikan & Pembangunan Koko (PPPK), Kota Samarahan here today.
Following this, he pointed out that cocoa is the third largest commodity crop contributing to the country’s export value after palm oil and rubber.
He stated that in 2022, cocoa had contributed RM7.8 billion to the country’s export income and this contribution has increased by 13.7 percent compared to 2021.
“For this year (from January to July), the nation’s total cocoa export earning has reached RM4.364 billion which is half of our export revenue target this year which is RM8 billion,” he said.
Touching on the cocoa plantation, Fadillah said the nation currently has 5,985 hectares of plantations and is targeting to increase it up to 6,335 hectares.
“Of this, a total of 24.6 percent or 1,473 hectares of cocoa is cultivated in Sarawak. Cocoa crops in Sarawak are concentrated in Kota Samarahan and Sarikei, while the number of cocoa farmers in Sarawak to date is 1,290 people.”
During the programme, several memorandum of understanding (MoU) were inked between the Malaysian Cocoa Board and the industry and Koperasi Kluster Koko Sarawak.
Aside from that, 10 industry players received the National level ‘Cocoa Excellence’ Award.
