PLANTATION & COMMODITIES
September-October. 2025 | @ AGROBiz
PLANTATION & COMMODITIES
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All eyes on bamboo
• Bamboo is increasingly viewed not just as a
traditional raw material but as a competitive modern commodity with high-value applications.
• The Malaysian Timber Industry Board( MTIB) continues to explore bamboo’ s potential in valueadded downstream products, including fibre extraction and sustainable building materials.
• The government has allocated RM19
million( 2024 – 2026) under the Cocoa Farm Rehabilitation Project to boost cocoa cultivation and productivity.
EXPANDING BAMBOO HORIZONS: Bamboo today stands out as a competitive commodity with wide-ranging industrial uses.
THE government is currently eyeing to step up efforts to strengthen the bamboo industry- recognising its potential to become a fresh contributor to the country’ s economy.
Speaking at the World Bamboo Day( WBD) Malaysia 2025 celebration at the Bamboo Model Farm, Terengganu Timber Industry Training Centre( TTITC), Deputy Minister of Plantation and Commodities Datuk Chan Foong Hin said the industry is moving beyond traditional use into high-value applications.
“ This data demonstrates the significance of the bamboo industry to
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global development and demand,” he said, citing Market Data Forecast figures that estimated global bamboo exports at US $ 70.78 billion( RM299.43 billion) in 2024, projected to reach US $ 74.26 billion( RM314.16 billion) this year.
BAMBOO IS A COMMODITY
Chan, who represented Minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani, highlighted that more than 577 local entrepreneurs are currently involved in bamboo-based ventures, ranging from construction and furniture to textiles, charcoal, handicrafts and even food products.
He added:“ The current focus
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is on innovation in producing high-value bamboo products, skills development, and the adoption of modern technology with the full involvement of all stakeholders.”
To further strengthen the sector, the Malaysian Timber Industry Board( MTIB) has initiated research on downstream uses, including bamboo fibre for furniture and construction.
“ This effort not only strengthens the development of bamboo-based technology and innovation but is also supported by technical advisory services and human capital development training programmes in bamboo plantation and technology,” Chan explained.
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Another key programme, the Bamboo Community Farming Development Project( PPCFB), has been rolled out nationwide, covering 135.4 hectares with participation from small-scale farmers. The project offers support such as bamboo seedlings, fertiliser, and training to farmers cultivating between 0.4 and 3.99 hectares.
Malaysia’ s bamboo plantations now exceed 4,000 hectares, with most developments driven by the private sector to supply domestic demand.
Chan stressed that the resilience and versatility of bamboo show the industry’ s readiness to compete as a modern commodity.
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Cocoa revival drive
THE Ministry of Plantation and Commodities( MPIC) have earmarked RM19 million between 2024 and 2026 to revitalise Malaysia’ s cocoa sector through the Cocoa Farm Rehabilitation Project, aimed at enhancing cultivation and ensuring the crop remains a vital contributor to the economy.
According to the ministry, under the initiative, several key programmes were being carried out by the Malaysian Cocoa Board( MCB), including the Cocoa Yield Production Stimulus Programme, which targets an additional 550 hectares of planted area and the development of mini cocoa processing facilities.
Complementing this, the Smallholder Farm Road Project is being implemented to ease the
EXPANDING A LEGACY CROP: Cocoa emerges once more as a key commodity driving Malaysia’ s agricultural ambitions. movement of cocoa produce from rural farms to collection centres. The Cocoa Farmer Modernisation Programme also equips selected smallholders with training and exposure to modern machinery and farming systems to enhance efficiency and yields.
“ MCB is also conducting research and development to produce new technologies and discoveries to overcome key challenges in the upstream cocoa sector, as well as strengthen its marketing chain through guided cooperatives in each region.
“ The ministry also encourages the production of premium products such as‘ single origin’ and‘ fine flavour’ to brand local cocoa with its unique taste,” MPIC said in a written reply published on the Dewan Rakyat website.
On the Dewan Rakyat website, MPIC stated that the Agriculture and Food Security Ministry was also intensifying coconut development as a national industry, allocating RM5 million this year under the New Wealth Source Programme to expand cultivation and improve productivity.
It added that incentives under the Coconut Industry Development Project included seedlings, fertilisers, pesticides, herbicides, land preparation, drainage, and small farm tools, while encouraging high-yield varieties such as Matag, Malayan Red Dwarf, Malayan Yellow Dwarf, and Pandan Coconut to raise productivity and farmer income.
- @ AGROBiz