Malaysia Imports 660,000 Coconut to Stabilize Supply

The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (KPKM) has imported and distributed 661,761 old coconuts, equivalent to 661,000 tons with a total value of RM1.45 million, to ensure sufficient coconut supply in the local market, the Bernama (Putrajaya) reported on February 27.  
According to KPKM statement, the coconut supply has been placed at major distribution centers of the Federal Agriculture Marketing Authority (FAMA) in Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, and Perak and will be channeled through 42 FAMA centers nationwide and marketed to FAMA retail outlets and major wholesalers to ensure the availability of coconuts in the market.  The effort will continue until the domestic market coconut supply returns to stability.  Among the countries that export old coconuts to Malaysia are Indonesia, Thailand and Sri Lanka, the report said.
As a long-term measure, under the12th Malaysia Plan, the Department of Agriculture has implemented several initiatives including replanting and new planting of coconut trees.  KPKM said this involved cultivation of various coconut seedlings from high-productivity varieties such as MATAG, Pandan, Malayan Yellow Dwarf (MYD) and Malayan Red Dwarf (MRD) coconuts.  KPKM also announced that land identified with cooperation of the state government would be used for coconut cultivation to increase domestic supply.