KUALA LUMPUR • The export revenue of cocoa and cocoa products had reached RM3.6 billion as of June 2022, said Malaysian Cocoa Board (MCB) chairman Rahimah Majid.

She said the achievement is due to the high demand abroad and the encouraging prices of cocoa products.

“Based on the development of cocoa export value in the first and second quarters, we will reach the target of more than RM7 billion, and I hope that next year the achievement will be better.

“As Malaysians we should be proud of the chocolate produced in Malaysia because the quality is no less great and very tasty and competitive with products from foreign countries.

“Malaysian chocolate has also been recognised by Japan when it emerged as the largest exporting country,” she said at a press conference after officiating at the Malaysia Cocoa and Chocolate Day (MCCD) 2022 here today.

Rahimah said Malaysian cocoa exports had contributed RM6.8 billion in 2021, and the export value of cocoa is expected to increase to RM7 billion this year.

Chocolate exports account for 15 per cent of the total export value.

She said that in 2021, chocolate exports were 68,000 tonnes worth RM1 billion with most chocolate products exported to Japan (20.7 per cent), China (12.5 per cent) and ASEAN countries namely Thailand, the Philippines and Indonesia.

“The production of cocoa products such as chocolate has grown rapidly. The increase in chocolate exports in the 11-year period from 2010 to 2021 was as much as 267 per cent, from RM272 million to RM1 billion.

“Chocolate exports are expected to continue to increase due to the high demand abroad,” she said.

She added that for the domestic market, handmade chocolate entrepreneurs under the guidance of MCB produced 90 tonnes of chocolate worth RM5.5 million last year and handmade chocolate entrepreneurs are targeted to reach 94 tonnes of chocolate products worth RM6 million this year.

“To ensure that the products produced by chocolate entrepreneurs are of good quality and competitive with products from abroad, focus is given to the development of packaging and production of creative and unique products as well as premium chocolate products such as single origin chocolate and organic chocolate,” she said.

MCCD 2022 is organised over three days from Oct 14-16 at the Mid Valley Exhibition Centre with the aim of conveying information about cocoa plants and cocoa-based products, awareness of the goodness and benefits of cocoa and promoting cocoa products produced by grinders, manufacturers and entrepreneurs. 

MCCD 2022 brought together 31 exhibitors consisting of six manufacturers, 17 chocolate entrepreneurs, two non-food cocoa product entrepreneurs, three equipment and packaging suppliers, Cocoa Cluster Cooperative, pepper-based product entrepreneurs and the Ministry of Health (Food Safety Division).

In conjunction with MCCD 2022, a chocolate product was also launched, ‘Sugar-Free Dark Chocolate with Prebiotics’ produced by AOM Sdn Bhd, a chocolate entrepreneur under MCB guidance. — Bernama / pic TMR FILE