Haji Hajiji Haji Noor
KOTA KINABALU: Chief Minister Datuk Seri Haji Hajiji Haji Noor wants to see more farmers venturing into cocoa planting and expanding the 3,000 hectares of land already in cultivation in Sabah.
He said there has been a surge in international demand for Malaysia’s cocoa products, with export values hitting a record RM15.06 billion last year, three times that of 2023.
“We are proud that Sabah has played a pivotal role in this success, accounting for over 60 per cent of the nation’s cocoa output.
“I am heartened that about 3,000 cocoa farmers in the districts of Ranau, Tenom, Kota Marudu, Keningau and Kuamut have benefited,” he said at the Cocoa Gala Dinner held in conjunction with the Malaysian International Cocoa Fair 2025 (MICF 2025) at Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC) here tonight. His speech was delivered by Deputy Chief Minister I cum Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Industry Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan.
Hajiji said this was a momentous occasion for Sabah and reflected the state’s significant role in Malaysia’s cocoa industry.
He commended the Malaysian Cocoa Board for the exemplary efforts in driving this success.
The Chief Minister hoped the Malaysian International Cocoa Fair (MICF) and Gala
dinner would bring about long-lasting benefits, from new partnerships and investments to increased global awareness of Sabah’s strength, not only as the main cocoaproducing state in Malaysia, but as a destination for business, tourism and culture.
“We also express our heartfelt thanks to the international exhibitors and cocoa
producers, to our local entrepreneurs and SMEs, to our academic institutions and of course, to the many sponsors and partners, both from Malaysia and abroad, who have made MICF 2025 a success,” he said.
