MELAKA, Oct 17 (Bernama) -- The export value of cocoa beans and cocoa-based products from Malaysia increased to RM18.33 billion in 2025 compared to RM15.06 billion the previous year, reflecting the potential for the industry to continue growing.
Plantation and Commodities Minister Datuk Seri Dr Noraini Ahmad said that the increase indicates a significant opportunity in the production of chocolate, food ingredients, and various downstream products with high market value.
She said Malaysia is one of the world's leading countries in cocoa bean processing and grinding activities, but a large portion of the raw material supply for the industry is still imported.
"That's why the ministry wants to strengthen the entire cocoa industry, starting from the farmers who grow cocoa to the entrepreneurs who produce products for the local and international markets," she said.
Noraini said this while speaking at the launch of 'A Malaysian Cocoa Affair 2026' programme, themed "Sense, Savour and Celebrate", here today.
She said the ministry is focusing on three main priorities, namely increasing local cocoa production and smallholder income, strengthening cocoa source traceability, and developing more high-value products.
The minister said that through the Malaysian Cocoa Board, efforts continue to be made to encourage group planting, rehabilitate less productive farms, and provide planting materials from high-quality cocoa clones and incentives to smallholders.
"We do not want the industry to develop only at the processing level, while local farmers do not receive the appropriate benefits," she said.
"For this reason, the ministry is also strengthening the National Cocoa Traceability System to identify the origin of cocoa and record its movement from the plantation to the processing stage," she said.
This step, she said, is important to meet the needs of the international market, including the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), as well as to enhance buyers' confidence in Malaysian cocoa products.
Commenting further, she said that in an effort to develop high-value products, more than RM40 million has been allocated through Budget 2027 to support the use of modern technology, including the production of premium chocolate through the 'bean-to-bar' process.
She said that the approach encompassing the process from cocoa beans to finished chocolate allows entrepreneurs to control the quality and taste of the product, while also developing their own brand.
"I want to see more Malaysian chocolate brands successfully penetrating the international market," she said.
Meanwhile, Noraini said the uniqueness of local cocoa also provides an opportunity for entrepreneurs to showcase products with a Malaysian identity, including chocolate made from cocoa from Panchor and Lendu in Melaka.
She added that the state's cultural heritage can also be utilised in packaging design, presentation, and marketing to make local premium chocolate a choice souvenir for tourists.
The three-day 'A Malaysian Cocoa Affair' programme, which has been on since yesterday, provides 24 exhibition and sales booths, as well as chocolate-making workshops, cocoa bean processing demonstrations, and various activities for visitors.
-- BERNAMA