Helping Cocoa Smallholders get on their feet

By Fizah Yusof
Pictures by Oliver Majaham

More than 90 cocoa smallholders in the Penampang area attended an advanced course on cocoa planting organised by the Malaysian Cocoa Board in Kampung Kibunut, Penampang, yesterday.

Minister of Plantation Industries and Commodities, Tan Sri Bernard Dompok who was there to launch the course said participants who grow cocoa would receive assistance such as fertilizer, pesticide, and farming equipment for three years to help them get on their feet. He said that the advanced course was part of his Ministry’s and the Malaysian Cocoa Board’s efforts to help cocoa smallholders.

“In this program the participants are taught the latest technology available as well as method of good farming practices, which include efficient farm management and post-harvest technology,” he said.

Dompok said helping the cocoa smallholders is one of his ministry's ways of strengthening and improving the country’s cocoa industry and make it more competitive.

He further explained that the ministry will focus on networking and cooperation in research and development as well as the commercialization sectors to increase productivity and to modernize  the industry by applying the latest technology and innovation to create new value-added products that will satisfy market demand.

The Minister disclosed that from January to November 2012, the commodities industry contributed a total of RM117.6 billion which was18.2 per cent to the country’s export revenue (RM645.5 billion). He said for this year, the commodities industry is expected to reach RM130 billion.

“The cocoa sector is the fourth biggest contributor of Malaysia’s export revenue after oil palm, timber and rubber. The export value for cocoa from January to November last year was RM3.3 billion.

“This year, the Malaysian Cocoa Board estimates that the price of cocoa will be between RM6,500 and RM8,000 per tonne and this is based on the International Cocoa Organization’s expectation that the demand for the commodity will increase by two per cent from 3.96 tonnes to 3.99 tonnes,” he said, adding that the expected increase in demand would contribute to the stabilization of the cocoa prices in 2013.

Dompok who is the Penampang Member of Parliament, hoped that more people in Penampang would plant cocoa. He said the local demand for cocoa beans is about 300,000 tonnes and Malaysia has to import 296,000 tonnes of cocoa beans from other producing countries like Indonesia, Cote d’lvoire and Ghana.

To satisfy the local demand, the ministry has targeted to expand cocoa planted areas on an average of 2,000 hectares annually from 2012 to 2020.

“This will increase the area planted with cocoa from 20,543 hectares in 2011 to 40,000 hectares in 2020, which can contribute about 60,000 tonnes of cocoa beans,” he said.

In 2013, an allocation of RM12.6 million has been approved by the government to develop 1,580 hectares of land with cocoa nationwide under the ‘Program Tanaman Koko Baru’.

“630 hectares of area had been allocated to Sabah of which Penampang covers 43 hectares. However, we can still increase the area if there are new applicants to join the program,” he said.

On the same development, Dompok disclosed that the government also approved a total of RM28 million that will be used to increase the productivity of existing cocoa trees.

“There are about 8,000 hectares that will benefit from the ‘Program Pemulihan Tanaman Koko’. This will increase the production of cocoa beans.

“From the total, RM10 million will be allocated to improve productivity and rehabilitate 3,179 hectares of areas planted with cocoa in Sabah,” he said.

Cocoa smallholders have reasons to feel happy. Cocoa smallholders like Seminding Jeymi, 61, believe this program will help him financially.

“I think we need to make use of the opportunity given to us. The government has provided us with so many aid programs. So I believe we need to work hard and grab this opportunity to earn money and break out of poverty ,” he said.

Seminding who has 2 hectares of land said that he needed to make use of his land to grow cocoa.

Bernadette Giluk, 61, a retired teacher shared a similar view. She said that the land could bring her much needed income.

Bernadette said all they have to do is plant the cocoa. “If we have problems we can seek help from Malaysian Cocoa Board and they will help us. In fact, they will make an inspection every month to see how we get on,” she said.

Also present at the launching were Chairman of the Malaysian Cocoa Board, Datuk Siringan Gubat, Moyog assemblyman, Datuk Donald Mojuntin and Director General of the Malaysia Cocoa Board, Dr Lee Choon Hui.– Insight Sabah