KUALA LUMPUR — The 50th International Cocotech Conference and Exhibition 2022 (COCOTECH 2022), held from today until Nov 11, is an excellent platform to exchange ideas and best practices as well as policy recommendations to better understand the issues and challenges faced by the coconut industry.
Agriculture and Food Industries Deputy Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Hamzah said COCOTECH 2022 is a meaningful event to show that Malaysia emphasised on advancing sustainable agriculture and food security agenda.
“I sincerely hope that this conference will give an opportunity for all members to meet and greet as well as establish networking for the benefit of all.
“Therefore, we need to further strengthen our collaborative efforts to continue enhancing the resilience of the coconut industry,” he said during his speech at the International COCOTECH 2022 dinner.
Also present were Agriculture and Food Industries Ministry Secretary-General Datuk Haslina Abdul Hamid and International Coconut Committee (ICC) Chairman Dr Viliami T. Manu.
A coconut tree, also known as the Tree of Life, has multiple usage of every part of the entire tree from top to bottom.
“Every part of the tree such as trunk, leaves, husk, midribs, meat, sap, roots, shells, are utilised in some form or the other. In foods, coconut is used in various dish preparations such as gravy and dessert.
“Coconut water is an excellent source of hydration for the body. In addition, it is proven that coconut has high medicinal values that are used in pharmaceutical and cosmetic products,” he said.
Coconut is the fourth most important industrial crop in Malaysia after palm oil, rice and rubber with a total planted area of 84,942 hectares and an annual production of 560,984 tonnes, involving 66,000 farmers.
With the theme of ‘Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation Strategy For A Resilient and Sustainable Coconut Industry,’ COCOTECH 2022 which has about 400 participants from the ICC and non-ICC members, is showcasing 40 exhibition booths to the public.
— BERNAMA
Join our Telegram channel to receive the latest news alert