Malaysian cocoa exports

Malaysian cocoa exports

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): Malaysia's national cocoa board signed Monday a pact with a Chinese state institute to boost export of cocoa products and beans to China.

Under the agreement with the Wuxi Institute of Light Industries, Kuala Lumpur's cocoa products will be widely marketed in China and its cocoa beans used in research to develop foods, Hashim Wahab, director-general of the Malaysian Cocoa Board, said.

"We are confident that we would become the major cocoa beans exporter to China and subsequently open up our markets in other East Asian countries, thus minimizing our dependence on traditional markets such as Europe and North America," Hashim told reporters.

Officials said the boom was expected to be substantial, given the 300 percent increase to 22,000 tons in the first nine months of last year from 64,000 tons in 1990, when Malaysian cocoa was introduced to China.