BANTING, Aug 6 — The Plantation and Commodities Ministry will consider including coconut as one of the national commodities under the ministry.

Deputy Prime Minister and Plantation and Commodities Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof said this proposal by smallholders will be discussed at the higher levels.

"There was also an earlier proposal (from smallholders), especially from Sabak Bernam and Tanjung Karang seeking to include coconut as a (national) commodity.

"Hence cocoa and coconuts will come under the Malaysian Cocoa Board’s ambit and we will take the proposal to the higher levels to see what can be done,” he told the media after meeting cocoa plant entrepreneurs in Tanjung Sepat, Selangor, today as part of the Central Peninsular Zone Commodity Trek Programme 2023 organised by the ministry.

During the session, cocoa smallholder Mispari Ramli from Sungai Besar proposed to the ministry to pave the way for the crop to be among the country’s national commodities.

"Datuk Seri (Fadillah Yusof) said earlier that there are eight commodities under the ministry and I think we should add one more, with coconut as a crop,” he said.

The dialogue session with farmers, entrepreneurs and the cocoa community from around Selangor was held to gather feedback and issues related to cocoa and to get suggestions ton measures to improve cocoa bean production and farmers’ income. — Bernama