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.